(10302) 1989 ML is an as yet unnamed near-Earth asteroid. It is approximately 0.6 km in diameter. An Amor asteroid, it orbits between Earth and Mars. It is an X-type asteroid, so its surface composition is yet unknown. It was discovered by Eleanor F. Helin and Jeff T. Alu at Palomar Observatory on 29 June 1989.
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. F. Helin, J. Alu |
| Discovery date | 29 June 1989 |
| Designations | |
Alternative designations | MPO 244277, 1992 WA |
Minor planet category | Amor NEO |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 24 October 2005 (JD 2453667.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 9733 days (26.65 yr) |
| Aphelion | 1.44623 AU (216.353 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 1.09872 AU (164.366 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 1.27247 AU (190.359 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.13655 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 1.44 yr (524.29 d) |
Average orbital speed | 26.28 km/s |
Mean anomaly | 125.941° |
Mean motion | 0° 41m 11.911s / day |
| Inclination | 4.37779° |
Longitude of ascending node | 104.409° |
Argument of perihelion | 183.283° |
| Earth MOID | 0.0827215 AU (12.37496 Gm) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 0.6 km |
Synodic rotation period | 19 h (0.79 d) |
Spectral type | X |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 19.3 |
The delta-v ('effort') required to reach 1989 ML from a low-Earth orbit is only 4.8 km/s, ranking fifth (as of March 2007) amongst the near-Earth asteroids with well-established orbits. 1989 ML is thus particularly 'easy' (and 'cheap') to reach by spacecraft.
1989 ML was considered as a target of the Japanese spacecraft Hayabusa (then Muses-C) but had to be given up due to technical reasons. It was also considered by the European Space Agency as a candidate target for the Don Quijote mission to study the effects of impacting a spacecraft into an asteroid; however, they too changed to other targets.[3]
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