| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | C. J. van Houten I. van Houten-G. T. Gehrels |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 24 September 1960 |
| Designations | |
| (39382) Opportunity | |
Named after | Opportunity (rover) (Mars Exploration Rover)[2] |
| 2696 P-L | |
| main-belt · (outer)[1] · Hildian [3] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 56.34 yr (20,579 days) |
| Aphelion | 4.7586AU |
| Perihelion | 3.1642 AU |
| 3.9614 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2012 |
| 7.88yr (2,880 days) | |
| 56.818° | |
| 0° 7m 30s / day | |
| Inclination | 2.9017° |
| 129.01° | |
| 297.44° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.5914 AU |
| TJupiter | 3.0210 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 7 km(generic at0.05)[4] 7.453±2.290 km[5] |
| 0.061±0.016[5] | |
| 14.5[1] | |
39382 Opportunity (provisional designation2696 P-L) is a dark Hilidanasteroid from the outermost region of theasteroid belt, approximately 7.5 kilometers in diameter. Discovered during thePalomar–Leiden survey atPalomar Observatory in 1960, it was named for NASA'sOpportunity Mars rover.[2]
Opportunity was discovered on 24 September 1960, by Dutch astronomer coupleIngrid andCornelis van Houten, as well as Dutch–American astronomerTom Gehrels from photographic plates taken at thePalomar Observatory, California, United States.[3]
Thesurvey designation "P-L" stands for "Palomar–Leiden", named after Palomar Observatory andLeiden Observatory, which collaborated on the fruitfulPalomar–Leiden survey in the 1960s. Gehrels used Palomar'sSamuel Oschin telescope (also known as the 48-inch Schmidt Telescope), and shipped thephotographic plates to Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten at Leiden Observatory whereastrometry was carried out. The trio are credited with the discovery of several thousand minor planets.[6]
Located in theoutermost part of the main-belt, Opportunity is a member of theHilda family, a large group of asteroids that are thought to have originated from theKuiper belt. They orbit in a 3:2orbital resonance with the gas giant Jupiter, meaning that for every 2 orbits Jupiter completes around the Sun, a Hildian asteroid will complete 3 orbits.[1]
Opportunity orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.2–4.8 AU once every 7 years and 11 months (2,880 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.20 and aninclination of 3° with respect to theecliptic.[1] The asteroid's orbit does not cross the path of any of the planets and therefore it will not be pulled out of orbit by Jupiter's gravitational field. As a result of this, it is likely that the asteroid will remain in a stable orbit for thousands of years.
The body'sobservation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as noprecoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made.[3]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission, Opportunity measures 7.45 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.061,[5] which is typical forcarbonaceous asteroids. A generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, gives a diameter of 7 kilometers, for anabsolute magnitude of 14.5 and an assumedalbedo of 0.05.[4]
As of 2017, the asteroid's composition, shape androtation period remain unknown.[1][7]
Thisminor planet was named after aMars Exploration Rover,Opportunity, following a proposal by the discoverer Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld.[2] The approved naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 28 September 2004 (M.P.C. 52770).[8] The minor planet37452 Spirit was named forOpportunity's twin rover,Spirit.
| General |
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|---|---|---|
| Spirit rover | ||
| Opportunity rover | ||
| Instruments |
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| Related |
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