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Discovery of an asteroid and quasi‐satellite in an Earth‐like horseshoe orbit
Author(s) -
Connors Martin,
Chodas Paul,
Mikkola Seppo,
Wiegert Paul,
Veillet Christian,
Innanen Kimmo
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
meteoritics and planetary science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.09
H-Index - 100
eISSN - 1945-5100
pISSN - 1086-9379
DOI - 10.1111/j.1945-5100.2002.tb01039.x
Subject(s) - asteroid , astrobiology , orbit (dynamics) , planet , satellite , astronomy , earth (classical element) , physics , geology , aerospace engineering , engineering
— The newly discovered asteroid 2002 AA 29 moves in a very Earth‐like orbit that relative to Earth has a unique horseshoe shape and allows transitions to a quasi‐satellite state. This is the first body known to be in a simple heliocentric horseshoe orbit, moving along its parent planet's orbit. It is similarly also the first true co‐orbital object of Earth, since other asteroids in 1:1 resonance with Earth have orbits very dissimilar from that of our planet. When a quasi‐satellite, it remains within 0.2 AU of the Earth for several decades. 2002 AA 29 is the first asteroid known to exhibit this behavior. 2002 AA 29 introduces an important new class of objects offering potential targets for space missions and clues to asteroid orbit transfer evolution.