| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | C. S. Shoemaker |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 14 May 1991 |
| Designations | |
| (5381) Sekhmet | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛkmɛt/[2] |
Named after | Sekhmet (Egyptian mythology)[3] |
| 1991 JY | |
| Aten · NEO | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 24.00 yr (8,765 days) |
| Aphelion | 1.2281AU |
| Perihelion | 0.6667 AU |
| 0.9474 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2962 |
| 0.92yr (337 days) | |
| 165.44° | |
| Inclination | 48.968° |
| 58.546° | |
| 37.429° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.1123 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 1.42 km[4] | |
| 2.8233 h | |
| S[4] | |
| 16.6[1] | |
5381 Sekhmet is anAten asteroid whose orbit is sometimes closer to theSun than theEarth's.Carolyn Shoemaker atPalomar Observatory discovered it on 14 May 1991. It is named afterSekhmet, theEgyptian goddess of war.[3]
Sekhmet is believed to be anS-type asteroid, and some believe itsdiameter is approximately 1.4 km.[4][5]
In December 2003, a team of astronomers atArecibo Observatory announced that the asteroid may have amoon that measures 300 m in diameter and orbits approximately 1.5 km from Sekhmet.[5] This moon is not yet confirmed.
