2020 PP1 is a sub-kilometer asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Apollo group, that is a temporary quasi-satellite of the Earth. There are over a dozen known Earth quasi-satellites, some of which switch periodically between the quasi-satellite and horseshoe co-orbital states.[6]
Discovery [1][2] | |
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Discovered by | Pan-STARRS 1 |
Discovery site | Haleakalā Obs. |
Discovery date | 12 August 2020 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | 2020 PP1 |
Alternative designations | P113Iyv [3] |
Minor planet category |
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Orbital characteristics [4] | |
Epoch 1 July 2021 (JD 2459396.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
Observation arc | 3.94 yr (1,438 days) |
Earliest precovery date | 24 August 2017 |
Aphelion | 1.075 AU |
Perihelion | 0.9278 AU |
Semi-major axis | 1.001 AU |
Eccentricity | 0.07356 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 3.99 yr |
Mean anomaly | 87.711° |
Mean motion | 0° 59m 0.667s / day |
Inclination | 5.8636° |
Longitude of ascending node | 140.603° |
Time of perihelion | 2 April 2021 19:40 UT[4] |
Argument of perihelion | 43.210° |
Earth MOID | 0.03257 AU |
TJupiter | 6.066 |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 0.9–2.0 km (assumed albedo 0.04–0.20)[5] |
Apparent magnitude | 20.4 (at discovery)[1] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 26.7[4] · 26.6[2] |
2020 PP1 was discovered on 12 August 2020 by the Pan-STARRS 1 survey at the Haleakalā Observatory.[1] It was later recovered by the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in August 2021, which allowed for precovery in earlier Pan-STARRS observations from 24 July 2017.[7]
2020 PP1 is currently an Apollo asteroid (Earth-crossing but with a period longer than a year). Its semi-major axis (currently 1.001715 AU) is similar to that of Earth (0.999789 AU), but it has both low eccentricity (0.07384) and low orbital inclination (5.827°). It alternates between being an Aten asteroid and being an Apollo asteroid, although its orbital evolution is not fully stable and it can be considered as a temporary quasi-satellite of the Earth; its orbital evolution is akin to that of 469219 Kamoʻoalewa.[6]
With an absolute magnitude of 26.6, it has a diameter in the range 10–30 meters (for an assumed albedo range of 0.20–0.04 respectively).[5]
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