2018 FC4
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Mt. Lemmon Survey |
| Discovery date | 21 March 2018 |
| Designations | |
| 2018 FC4 | |
Martian L5  | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 790 days (2.16 yr) |
| Aphelion | 1.5498684 AU (231.85701 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 1.497823 AU (224.0711 Gm) |
| 1.5238457 AU (227.96407 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.017077 |
| 1.88 yr (687.0841 d) | |
| 4.660° | |
| 0° 31m 26.232s /day | |
| Inclination | 22.1437° |
| 187.55390° | |
| 52.009° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.507683 AU (75.9483 Gm) |
| Jupiter MOID | 3.41333 AU (510.627 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 200 m |
| 0.5-0.05 (assumed) | |
| 21.3 | |
2018 FC4 is a small asteroid and Mars trojan orbiting near the L5 point of Mars (60 degrees behind Mars on its orbit).[2]
Discovery, orbit and physical properties
[edit]2018 FC4 was first observed on 21 March 2018 by the Mt. Lemmon Survey, but it had already been imaged (but not identified as an asteroid) by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope system at Haleakala on the previous night.[3] Its orbit is characterized by very low eccentricity (0.017), moderate inclination (22.1°) and a semi-major axis of 1.52 AU.[3] Upon discovery, it was classified as Mars-crosser by the Minor Planet Center. Its orbit is reasonably well determined as it is currently (January 2021) based on 35 observations with a data-arc span of 790 days.[1] 2018 FC4 has an absolute magnitude of 21.3 which gives a characteristic diameter of 200 m.[1]
Mars trojan and orbital evolution
[edit]Recent calculations indicate that it is a stable L5 Mars trojan with a libration period of 1300 yr and an amplitude of 20°.[2] These values are similar to those of 5261 Eureka and related objects and it may be a member of the so-called Eureka family.
Mars trojan
[edit]L4 (leading):
L5 (trailing):
- 5261 Eureka (1990 MB) †
- (101429) 1998 VF31 †
- (311999) 2007 NS2 †
- (385250) 2001 DH47
- 2009 SE
- 2011 SC191
- 2011 SL25
- 2011 SP189
- 2011 UB256
- 2011 UN63
- 2016 CP31
- 2018 EC4
- 2018 FC4
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 FC4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
- ^ a b de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (March 2021). "Using Mars co-orbitals to estimate the importance of rotation-induced YORP break-up events in Earth co-orbital space". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 501 (4): 6007–6025. arXiv:2101.02563. Bibcode:2021MNRAS.501.6007D. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab062.
- ^ a b MPC data on 2018 FC4
- Further reading
- Three new stable L5 Mars Trojans de la Fuente Marcos, C., de la Fuente Marcos, R. 2013, Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters, Vol. 432, Issue 1, pp. 31–35.
- Orbital clustering of Martian Trojans: An asteroid family in the inner solar system? Christou, A. A. 2013, Icarus, Vol. 224, Issue 1, pp. 144–153.
External links
[edit]- 2018 FC4 data at MPC.
- 2018 FC4 at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 2018 FC4 at the JPL Small-Body Database
