(65803) Didymos

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Asteroid
(65803) Didymos
Properties of the orbit ( animation )
Epoch:  December 9, 2014 ( JD 2,457,000.5)
Orbit type Near-Earth asteroid , PHA
Major semi-axis 1.6444  AU
eccentricity 0.384
Perihelion - aphelion 1.013 AU - 2.276 AU
Inclination of the orbit plane 3.408 °
Length of the ascending node 73.2333 °
Argument of the periapsis 319.25 °
Sidereal period 2.11 a
Physical Properties
Absolute brightness 18.0 likes
Spectral class SMASSII: Xk
history
Explorer Spacewatch
Date of discovery April 11, 1996
Another name 1996 GT
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.

(65803) Didymos (1996 GT) is a near-Earth double asteroid . Didymos was selected as the target for the ESA-NASA AIDA ( Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment ) mission in 2022. The aim is to try out techniques and technologies for asteroid defense and to slightly change the orbit of the smaller of the two bodies, which is informally known as the Didymoon .

The asteroid was discovered by Joe Montani on April 11, 1996 as part of the Spacewatch project at the Kitt Peak National Observatory . It has a diameter of approx. 800 m. On November 20, 2003, it was found that the asteroid has a moon around 170 meters in diameter orbiting it at a distance of around 1.1 km. The companion was given the provisional designation S / 2003 (65803) 1 . Due to its nature as a double asteroid, it was officially named Didymos in 2004, after the Greek word for twin .

See also

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. Asteroid Impact & Deflection Assessment (AIDA) ( Memento from June 7, 2015 in the Internet Archive ) on esa.int.
  2. Asteroid defense - a test attempt becomes more concrete raumfahrer.net.
  3. ESA's planetary defense test set for 2020 esa.int, accessed April 13, 2015.
  4. Impact on "Didymoon": ESA and NASA test asteroid defense. heise online, accessed on January 11, 2016 .
  5. The moon of (65803) Didymos on johnstonsarchive.net (English).
  6. NASA: 65803 Didymos (1996 GT). In: NASA . July 14, 2004, accessed July 10, 2017 .