| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H. L. Giclas |
| Discovery site | Lowell Obs. |
| Discovery date | 12 December 1947 |
| Designations | |
| (2201) Oljato | |
Named after | Oljato–Monument Valley (Navajo Reservation)[2] |
| 1947 XC · 1979 VU2 1979 XA | |
| NEO · PHA · Amor[1][3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 84.90 yr (31,008 days) |
| Earliestprecovery date | 3 December 1931 |
| Aphelion | 3.7257AU |
| Perihelion | 0.6243 AU |
| 2.1750 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.7130 |
| 3.21yr (1,172 days) | |
| 255.69° | |
| Inclination | 2.5224° |
| 74.991° | |
| 98.264° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.0031 AU · 1.2LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.80±0.1 km(IRAS:11)[4] 2.15 km[5] |
| 24h[6] 26 h[a] | |
| 0.24[5] 0.4328±0.030(IRAS:11)[4] | |
| SMASS = Sq[1] · C[7] · S[8][9] | |
| 15.00[9] · 15.25[1][4] · 15.50[5][8] · 15.50±0.42[7] · 15.55[6] | |
2201 Oljato, provisional designation1947 XC, is a stony and extremely eccentricactive[10]asteroid and sizablenear-Earth object of theApollo group, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It has an Earthminimum orbit intersection distance of 0.0031 AU (460 thousand km) and is associated with theBeta Taurids daytime meteor shower.
Oljato was discovered by American astronomerHenry L. Giclas at the U.SLowell Observatory in Flagstaff, Arizona, on 12 December 1947.[3] After its discovery, this near-Earth Apollo asteroid became alost asteroid for 32 years and was recovered under the provisional designation1979 XA, by the American astronomers Passey and Bus at the Californian Palomar Observatory in 1979.[2]
Oljato is a member of theApollo asteroids, a subgroup of near-Earth asteroids which cross the orbit ofEarth. It is also apotentially hazardous object due to its size and itsEarth minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0031 AU (460,000 km), which is only about 1.2lunar distances . It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.6–3.7 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,172 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.71 and aninclination of 3° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
It was a target ofHubble search for transition comets, a spectroscopic study involving amateur astronomers and the use of the Hubble Space Telescope. The asteroid belongs to the Taurid Complex(also seeTaurids), a group of near-Earth asteroids thought to beextinct cometary nuclei, that are associated with fourmeteor showers on Earth, due to their disintegration. The Taurid Complex includes several other Apollo asteroids such as4183 Cuno,4341 Poseidon,5143 Heracles, and5731 Zeus.[11]
The next notable close approach to Earth will be on 28 November 2024, passing at a nominal distance of 0.47 AU (70,000,000 km; 44,000,000 mi).[1] Due to the eccentricity of its orbit, Earth is not the only planet it passes. In 2044 it will pass close toVenus (on 24 Apr at 0.08 AU) as well as Earth (on 30 May at 0.129 AU), and in 2046 it will passJupiter (on 15 Jan at 1.4 AU). However, although it crosses the orbit ofMars, it will pass Earth, Venus and Jupiter several times before the next notable close approach to Mars, which will not be until 30 July 2127, passing at a nominal distance of 0.0306 AU (4,580,000 km; 2,840,000 mi)[1]
Oljato has arotation period of 26 hours.[a] Thestony asteroid is classified as a Sq-subtype in theSMASS taxonomic scheme, with ageometric albedo of 0.24.[5] An alternative and exceptionally high albedo of 0.43 was determined by 11 observations from the Infrared Astronomical Satellite,IRAS.[4]
Thisminor planet was named after theOljato–Monument Valley in Utah, on the Navajo Indian Reservation.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 28 March 1983 (M.P.C. 7782).[12]
