Arjuna asteroid
Arjuna asteroids belong to the class of near-earth asteroids ( English Near-Earth asteroid, NEA ), a group of near-earth objects ( English Near-Earth object, NEO ).
Orbits
Characteristic of asteroids of this class is their Earth-like orbit with a low orbital inclination , low eccentricity and orbital periods of about one Earth year . They are thus in resonance with the earth as earth trojans or on so-called horseshoe orbits . At times they can apparently orbit the earth as a quasi-satellite .
designation
The fuzzy definition of the Arjuna type includes asteroids of the three established categories of near-Earth asteroids. Unlike the other three type classes, the Arjuna class was not named after an asteroid, but after a figure in Hindu mythology : Arjuna .
Examples
Members of the group are (with their classification as Apolloasteroid (APO) or Atenasteroid (ATE) in lower case):
- 2002 AA 29 (ATE)
- (419624) 2010 SO 16 (APO)
- (469219) Kamoʻoalewa (APO)
Potential targets for space missions
Asteroids of this rare class can be reached from Earth with relatively little effort ( Delta v ). Therefore there are considerations to explore one or more of these objects with a space mission. In the future, raw materials could possibly also be extracted here.