(5145) Pholus

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Asteroid
(5145) Pholus
Properties of the orbit ( animation )
Epoch:  December 9, 2014 ( JD 2,457,000.5)
Orbit type centaur
Major semi-axis 20.3384  AU
eccentricity 0.5736
Perihelion - aphelion 8.6715 AU - 32.0053 AU
Inclination of the orbit plane 24.7320 °
Length of the ascending node 119.2540 °
Argument of the periapsis 354.9434 °
Sidereal period 91.72 years
Mean orbital velocity 6.03 km / s
Physical Properties
Medium diameter (190 ± 26) km
Albedo 0.044
Rotation period 9.980 h
Absolute brightness 7.1 likes
Spectral class Z
history
Explorer David Rabinowitz
( Spacewatch )
Date of discovery January 9, 1992
Another name 1992 AD
Source: Unless otherwise stated, the data comes from JPL Small-Body Database Browser . The affiliation to an asteroid family is automatically determined from the AstDyS-2 database . Please also note the note on asteroid items.

(5145) Pholus is an asteroid belonging to the group of centaurs that was discovered by David Rabinowitz on January 9, 1992 .

The celestial body was named after Pholos , a centaur from Greek mythology .

Pholus will walk around the sun on a strongly eccentric orbit in around 92 years . The perihelion distance lies with 8.71  AU within the orbit of the planet Saturn , in the aphelion of 32.14  AU outside the orbit of Neptune . The orbit eccentricity is 0.574, with the orbit at 24.697 ° being strongly inclined towards the ecliptic . Pholus was probably originally an object of the Kuiper Belt .

The diameter of Pholus was determined to be 185 km (± 16 km). It has a dark surface with an albedo of 0.04. Investigations of its spectrum show that the surface has a deep red color, which suggests the presence of hydrocarbon compounds . Unlike the previously discovered centaur (2060) Chiron , it shows no traces of past cometic activity.
It rotates around its own axis in around 10 hours.

See also