(524522) 2002 VE68

(524522) 2002 VE68 is an asteroid and a temporary quasi-satellite of Venus.[1] It was the first quasi-satellite to be found around a planet in the Solar System. It looks like it travels around Venus during one Venerean year but it actually orbits the Sun, not Venus.[2]

Discovery, orbit and physical properties

It was discovered on 11 November 2002 at Lowell Observatory. It has a semi-major axis of 0.7237 AU. Its eccentricity is 0.4104. Its orbital inclination is 9.0060°. It is calculated to measure 236 meters in diameters. Its rotational period is 13.5 hours.[3]

Potentially hazardous asteroid

2002 VE68 is in the Minor Planet Center list of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids (PHAs) because it frequently comes as close as 0.05 AU (7,479,894 km) to Earth. It comes as close as 0.04 AU (5,983,915 km) every 8 years.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "Discovery of the first quasi-satellite of Venus (press announcement, Tuorla Observatory)". www.astro.utu.fi. Archived from the original on 2016-03-03. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  2. ↑ Mikkola, S.; Brasser, R.; Wiegert, P.; Innanen, K. (2004). "Asteroid 2002 VE68, a quasi-satellite of Venus". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 351 (3): L63–L65. Bibcode:2004MNRAS.351L..63M. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2004.07994.x. ISSN 0035-8711.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)
  3. ↑ "Physical characterization of 2002 VE68, a quasi-moon of Venus" (PDF). 2013-12-18. Archived (PDF) from the original on 2013-12-18. Retrieved 2020-12-04.
  4. ↑ de la Fuente Marcos, C.; de la Fuente Marcos, R. (2012-11-01). "On the dynamical evolution of 2002 VE68". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 427 (1): 728–739. arXiv:1208.4444. Bibcode:2012MNRAS.427..728D. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2012.21936.x. ISSN 0035-8711. S2CID 118535095.{{cite journal}}: CS1 maint: unflagged free DOI (link)