 Radar image of2005 LW3 and its satellite (below) by theGoldstone Solar System Radar on 23 November 2022 | |
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Siding Spring Survey |
| Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
| Discovery date | 5 June 2005 |
| Designations | |
| 2005 LW3 | |
| NEO · Apollo · PHA | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 25 February 2023 (JD 2460000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 17.49 yr (6,389 days)[1] |
| Aphelion | 2.106AU |
| Perihelion | 0.771 AU |
| 1.439 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4638 |
| 1.73 yr (630.3 days) | |
| 81.385° | |
| 0° 34m 16.171s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.021° |
| 59.587° | |
| 5 October 2022 | |
| 288.663° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.001397 AU (209,000 km; 0.544 LD) |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.335 AU |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 400 m (primary)[4] | |
| 3.6 h[4] | |
| 0.02[5] | |
| 21.89[3] · 21.68[1] | |
(741081) 2005 LW3 is abinarynear-Earth asteroid classified as apotentially hazardous object of theApollo group. It was discovered on 5 June 2005 by theSiding Spring Survey atSiding Spring Observatory inAustralia.[2] It made a close approach of 2.97lunar distances (1.14×10^6 km; 0.71×10^6 mi) from Earth on 23 November 2022, reaching a peak brightness ofapparent magnitude 13 as it passed over thenorthern celestial hemisphere sky.[1] It was extensively observed by astronomers worldwide during the close approach, and radar observations byNASA'sGoldstone Solar System Radar inCalifornia discovered a 100 m (330 ft)-widenatural satellite orbiting the asteroid at a wide separation of 4 km (2.5 mi).[6][7]
Goldstone Solar System Radar observations in November 2022 resolved the shape of2005 LW3, revealing a body 400 m (1,300 ft) in diameter—larger than its previously expected diameter of 150 m (490 ft).[4][7] For anabsolute magnitude of 21.9, this radar-measured diameter indicates that2005 LW3 has a very lowgeometric albedo of 0.02.[5] These radar observations also determined arotation period of 3.6 hours for2005 LW3.[4]
The satellite of2005 LW3 was discovered by a team of astronomers[a] using Goldstone Solar System Radar observations from 23–27 November 2022. The satellite appears elongated, with equatorial dimensions of 100 m × 50 m (330 ft × 160 ft).[4] The satellite is widely separated from2005 LW3 (the primary body of the system) at asemi-major axis of about 4 km (2.5 mi),[4] which is around 17% of the primary'sHill radius (24 km or 15 mi for an assumed primary density of1.6 g/cm3).[5] The satellite's discovery was announced in aCentral Bureau Electronic Telegram on 10 December 2022.[4]
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