| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | A. R. Klemola |
| Discovery site | Lick Obs. |
| Discovery date | 7 September 1972 |
| Designations | |
| (2202) Pele | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈpeɪleɪ/,Hawaiian:[ˈpɛlɛ] |
Named after | Pele(Hawaiian religion)[2] |
| 1972 RA | |
| NEO · Amor[1][3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 42.59 yr (15,555 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4646AU |
| Perihelion | 1.1146 AU |
| 2.2896 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.5132 |
| 3.46yr (1,265 days) | |
| 336.56° | |
| 0° 17m 4.2s / day | |
| Inclination | 8.7454° |
| 169.98° | |
| 217.94° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.1426 AU · 55.6LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.5±0.5 km(generic)[4] |
| 17.2[1] | |
2202 Pele, provisional designation1972 RA, is an eccentricasteroid andnear-Earth object of theAmor group, approximately 1–2 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered by American astronomerArnold Klemola at the U.S.Lick Observatory on Mount Hamilton, California, on 7 September 1972.[3] The asteroid was named afterPele from native Hawaiian religion.[2]
Pele orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.1–3.5 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,265 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.51 and aninclination of 9° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
It is anAmor asteroid, the second largest subgroup ofnear-Earth objects, that approach the orbit of Earth from beyond, but does not cross it. It has anEarthminimum orbit intersection distance of 0.1426 AU (21,330,000 km), which corresponds to 55.6lunar distances.
Noprecoveries were taken. The asteroid'sobservation arc starts two days after the official discovery observation.[3]
As of 2017,Pele's effective size, composition, andalbedo, as well as itsrotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][5] It measures between 1 and 2 kilometers, based on a genericmagnitude-to-diameter conversion, which assumes an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[4]
Thisminor planet was named afterPele, the goddess of fire, lightning, and volcanoes fromHawaiian mythology. Pele created the Hawaiian Islands and madeKīlauea her home, after she was forced to go away by her rival sister and goddess of the sea,Nāmaka.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 1 June 1980 (M.P.C. 5360).[6]
