astro.wikisort.org - Asteroid

(163249) 2002 GT is an Apollo asteroid with an absolute magnitude of 18.26.[1] It is a potentially hazardous asteroid as its orbit crosses that of Earth.[3]

(163249) 2002 GT

Discovery
Discovered by	Spacewatch
Discovery site	Kitt Peak National Obs.
Discovery date	3 April 2002
Designations
MPC designation	(163249) 2002 GT
Minor planet category	NEO · PHA · Apollo[1]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	5114 days (14.00 yr)
Aphelion	1.7945 AU (268.45 Gm)
Perihelion	0.89422 AU (133.773 Gm)
Semi-major axis	1.3444 AU (201.12 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.33483
Orbital period (sidereal)	1.56 yr (569.33 d)
Mean anomaly	196.65°
Mean motion	0° 37m 56.352s / day (n)
Inclination	6.9681°
Longitude of ascending node	201.76°
Argument of perihelion	135.09°
Earth MOID	0.0161099 AU (2.41001 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	350-500 m[2]
Synodic rotation period	3.7663 h (0.15693 d)
Absolute magnitude (H)	18.4[1]

Description

In 2011, NASA considered sending the unmanned spacecraft Deep Impact toward the asteroid with the aim of performing a flyby[3] in 2020. It was uncertain whether Deep Impact carried sufficient fuel for this operation.[3]

On 24 November 2011 and 4 October 2012, the space probe's thrusters were fired briefly for two trajectory correction maneuvers that targeted Deep Impact for an encounter with 2002 GT in 2020, possibly within a distance of no more than 400 kilometers. However, funding for the flyby mission was not guaranteed.[4] In June 2013 the asteroid was observed in radar by the Arecibo Observatory.[5]

However, on 8 August 2013 NASA lost communication with the spacecraft, and on 20 September 2013, NASA abandoned further attempts to contact the craft.[6] According to A'Hearn,[7] the most probable reason of software malfunction was a Y2K-like problem (at 11 August 2013 0:38:49 it was 2³² deciseconds from 1 January 2000[8]).

See also

• List of minor planets and comets visited by spacecraft

References

External links

• Arecibo data
• (163249) 2002 GT at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC
• (163249) 2002 GT at ESA–space situational awareness
  • Ephemerides · Observations · Orbit · Physical Properties · Summary
• (163249) 2002 GT at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

---