| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | C. Shoemaker |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 29 May 1987 |
| Designations | |
| (4341) Poseidon | |
Named after | Poseidon (Greek mythology)[2] |
| 1987 KF | |
| Apollo · NEO | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 30.05 yr (10,975 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0819AU |
| Perihelion | 0.5881 AU |
| 1.8350 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.6795 |
| 2.49yr (908 days) | |
| 93.192° | |
| 0° 23m 47.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 11.852° |
| 108.11° | |
| 15.652° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.1941 AU · 75.6LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 2.32 km(derived)[3] | |
| 6.262 h[4] 6.2656 h[5] | |
| 0.18(assumed)[3] | |
| SMASS =O[1][3] | |
| 15.65[3][5] · 16.0[1] · 16.11±0.80[6] | |
4341 Poseidon (prov. designation:1987 KF) is a rare-typeasteroid classified asnear-Earth object of theApollo group, approximately 2.3 kilometers (1.4 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomerCarolyn Shoemaker atPalomar Observatory on 29 May 1987.[7] The asteroid was named afterPoseidon from Greek mythology.[2]
Poseidon orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.6–3.1 AU once every 2 years and 6 months (908 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.68 and aninclination of 12° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
As noprecoveries were taken, the asteroid'sobservation arc begins with its discovery in 1987.[7]Poseidon may be associated with theTaurid Complex of meteor showers.[8] It has an Earthminimum orbital intersection distance of 0.1941 AU (29,000,000 km), which corresponds to 75.6lunar distances.[1]
Thisminor planet was named for the "God of the Sea",Poseidon, one of theTwelve Olympians inGreek mythology. He was also referred to as "Earth-Shaker" due to his role in provoking earthquakes, which were then thought to be caused by ocean waves beating on the shore. He was the brother of Zeus(see5731 Zeus), and an enemy of the Trojans in theTrojan War.[2] Thenaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 30 January 1991 (M.P.C. 17656).[9]
In theSMASS classification,Poseidon is anO-type asteroid.[1]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes analbedo of 0.18 and derives a diameter of 2.32 kilometers with anabsolute magnitude of 15.65.[3] As of 2017, no other estimates for its diameter and albedo have been published.[1][3]
In 1998, a rotationallightcurve ofPoseidon was published from photometric observations made by Czech astronomerPetr Pravec atOndřejov Observatory. It gave a period of6.262 hours with a brightness variation of 0.08magnitude (U=2).[4]
A second lightcurve was obtained during the Near-Earth Objects Follow-up Program which gave a concurring period of6.2656 hours and an amplitude of 0.07 magnitude (U=2).[5] A low brightness variation typically indicates that the body has a nearly spheroidal shape.
