Orbit diagram of asteroid Amun with location as of September 9, 2012 | |
Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | C. Shoemaker E. M. Shoemaker |
Discovery date | 4 March 1986 |
Designations | |
(3554) Amun | |
Named after | Amun |
1986 EB | |
Aten [1] Venus-crosser asteroid | |
Orbital characteristics[1] | |
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 10923 days (29.91 yr) |
Aphelion | 1.24677 AU (186.514 Gm) |
Perihelion | 0.700578 AU (104.8050 Gm) |
0.973675 AU (145.6597 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.28048 |
0.961 yr (350.9 d) | |
184.781° | |
1.02585°/day | |
Inclination | 23.3626° |
358.627° | |
359.392° | |
Earth MOID | 0.250204 AU (37.4300 Gm) |
Physical characteristics | |
3.341 km[1] | |
Mass | ~ 1.6×1013 kg |
2.53001 h (0.105417 d)[1] | |
0.1284±0.024[1] | |
M-type asteroid | |
15.82[1] | |
3554 Amun is anAten asteroid, meaning it crosses Earth's orbit, and aVenus-crosser. It was discovered on 4 March 1986 byCarolyn andEugene Shoemaker atMount Palomar Observatory, and named for theancient Egyptian deityAmun.[2] Amun was the fifth Aten asteroid to benumbered.
Photometric observations of 3554 Amun during 2017–2018 were combined to determine arotation period of 2.53029±0.00002 hours.[3] It has been classified as an M-type asteroid in the Tholen taxonomy, X-type in the Bus taxonomy, and C-, X-, and D-type in the Bus-DeMeo taxonomy. The featureless optical spectrum has a similar slope to theTagish Lake meteorite, although 3554 Amun is not considered the source.[4] The infrared spectrum of 3554 Amun was found to match aD-type asteroid taxonomy.[5] The estimateddiameter is 3.341 kilometers,[1] making it one of the smallest known asteroids to have an M-type classification.[citation needed]
Amun was once considered metallic, based on an M-type optical spectrum. InMining the Sky, planetary scientistJohn S. Lewis calculated the purported value of a metallic 3554 Amun at $20 trillion.[6](6178) 1986 DA is another M-type near-Earth asteroid with lower inclination that is actually metallic.
Amun passes close to Venus, and in 1964, 2034, and 2103 comes within 10 Gm of it.[1]