1221 Amor/ˈæmɔːr/is anasteroidandnear-Earth objecton an eccentric orbit, approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter. It is the namesake of theAmor asteroids,the second-largest subgroup of near-Earth objects. It was discovered byEugène Delporteat theUccle Observatoryin 1932, the first time that an asteroid was seen to approach Earth so closely.[1]The assumedS-type asteroidis one of fewlow-numberedasteroids for which norotation periodhas been determined.[8]It was assigned the provisional designation1932 EA1and named forCupid,also known as "Amor" in Latin, the Roman equivalent of the Greek godEros.[4]
 Orbital diagram ofAmor(cyan) with Earth, Mars and Jupiter (outermost) on 12 March 1932 | |
| Discovery[1][2] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Delporte |
| Discovery site | Uccle Obs. |
| Discovery date | 12 March 1932 |
| Designations | |
| (1221) Amor | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæmɔːr/[3] |
Named after | Cupid,Roman analogue ofEros[4] (Classical mythology) |
| 1932 EA1 | |
| Adjectives | Amorian/əˈmɔːriən/[7] |
| Symbol |  (astrological) |
| Orbital characteristics[6] | |
| Epoch23 March 2018 (JD2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.50yr(31,595 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.7550AU |
| Perihelion | 1.0832 AU |
| 1.9191 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4355 |
| 2.66 yr (971 d) | |
| 102.03° | |
| 0° 22m14.52s/ day | |
| Inclination | 11.879° |
| 171.34° | |
| 26.656° | |
| EarthMOID | 0.1069 AU (41.6LD) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| |
| S(assumed)[8] | |
Discovery
editOn 12 March 1932, Belgian astronomerEugène DelportephotographedAmorat theRoyal Observatory of Belgiumin Uccle,[1]as it approached Earth to within 16 million kilometers (about 40 times thedistance from Earth to the Moon). This was the first time that an asteroid was seen toapproach Earth so closely.The body'sobservation arcbegins with its official discovery observation on 12 March 1932, when it was observed at theUccleandHeidelbergobservatories simultaneously.[1]
Orbit and classification
editAmoris the namesake of theAmor asteroid,a subgroup ofnear-Earth asteroidsthat approach the orbit of Earth from beyond, but do notcross it.Next to theApollo group,the Amors are the second largest group of near-Earth objects with more than 7,000 known members.[10]As with many members of this group,Amoris also aMars-crosser,crossing the orbit of the Red Planet at 1.66 AU.[6]
It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.08–2.76AUonce every 2 years and 8 months (971 days;semi-major axisof 1.92 AU). Its orbit has a higheccentricityof 0.44 and aninclinationof 12°with respect to theecliptic.[6]
Close encounters
editAmorhas an Earthminimum orbital intersection distanceof 0.1069 AU (16,000,000 km) which corresponds to 41.6lunar distances.[6]In March 1940, it approached Earth to 0.1052 AU (15,700,000 km), its closest approach of all close encounters since 1900. Only in March 2129, it will approach Earth at a similar distance of 0.1082 AU (16,200,000 km).[6]
Naming
editThisminor planetwas named after theRomangod of love,Cupid,also known as Amor in Latin, and the Roman equivalent of the Greek godEros.[4]The near-Earth asteroids433 Erosand763 Cupidoare also named after the god of love. The official naming citation was mentioned inThe Names of the Minor PlanetsbyPaul Hergetin 1955 (H 113).[4]
Physical characteristics
editAmoris an assumed, stonyS-type asteroid.[8]
Rotation period
editAs of 2018, no rotationallightcurveofAmorhas been obtained fromphotometricobservations. The body'srotation period,poleand shape remain unknown.[6][8]
Diameter and albedo
editAccording toTom Gehrels'spublicationHazards due to Comets and Asteroidsfrom 1994 (pp. 540–543),Amormeasures 1.0 kilometer in diameter and its surface has analbedoof 0.15.[6]TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Linkassumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 0.857 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitudeof 17.7.[8]
References
edit- ^abcdef"1221 Amor (1932 EA1)".Minor Planet Center.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^"Asteroid 1221 Amor".Small Bodies Data Ferret.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^"Amor".LexicoUK English Dictionary.Oxford University Press.Archived fromthe originalon 21 December 2021.
- ^abcdSchmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1221) Amor".Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1221) Amor.Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 102.doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1222.ISBN978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^"Asteroid (1221) Amor".NEODyS-2, Near-Earth object – Dynamic Site.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^abcdefghijk"JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1221 Amor (1932 EA1)"(2018-09-12 last obs.).Jet Propulsion Laboratory.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^Frederick Palmer (1923) "The Flaming Woman",Collier's,vol. 71, April 14
- ^abcdefgh"LCDB Data for (1221) Amor".Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB).Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^Wisniewski, W. Z.; Michalowski, T. M.; Harris, A. W.; McMillan, R. S. (April 1997)."Photometric Observations of 125 Asteroids".Icarus.126(2): 395–449.Bibcode:1997Icar..126..395W.doi:10.1006/icar.1996.5665.Retrieved24 September2018.
- ^"Discovery Statistics – Cumulative Totals".NASA/JPL CNEOS. 21 September 2018.Retrieved24 September2018.
External links
edit- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB),query form (infoArchived16 December 2017 at theWayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names,Google books
- 1221 AmoratNeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- 1221 AmoratESA–space situational awareness
- 1221 Amorat theJPL Small-Body Database
