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- Title
The Discovery, Orbit, and Upcoming Close Earth Encounter of Asteroid 887 Alinda.
- Authors
Connors, Martin
- Abstract
Asteroid 887 Alinda was discovered by Max Wolf at Heidelberg in 1918. Alinda, the second-known, near-Earth asteroid, aroused considerable interest and some confusion at the time. The discovery circumstances are examined with an aim to clarification, including the possible detection of a satellite in follow-up observations. Alinda is also the namesake of a small group of asteroids that orbit the Sun three times per Jupiter orbit, and thus are in 3:1 mean-motion resonance with the planet, in a Kirkwood gap of the asteroid belt. These asteroids are also approximately resonant with Earth, and can make close approaches that are potentially hazardous. Their sidereal period is about four years, but close approaches to Earth usually take place less frequently than that. Alinda had one set of approaches near the time of discovery, one set in the 1970s, and will have another set in the 2020s, including one very favourable approach for its investigation by telescopes, radar, and possibly spacecraft in 2025. An asteroid on a similar orbit, 4179 Toutatis, has recently been investigated in detail.
- Subjects
ASTEROIDS; WOLF, Max, 1863-1932; JUPITER (Planet); TELESCOPES; RADAR
- Publication
Journal of the Royal Astronomical Society of Canada, 2015, Vol 109, Issue 2, p55
- ISSN
0035-872X
- Publication type
Article