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

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]

Orbit and orbital evolution

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]

Physical properties

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]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c "MPEC 2020-P68 : 2020 PP1". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 20 January 2021.
  2. ^ a b "2020 PP1". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  3. ^ "2020 PP1". NEO Exchange. Las Cumbres Observatory. 13 August 2020. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  4. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2020 PP1" (2021-08-01 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  5. ^ a b Bruton, Dan. "Conversion of Absolute Magnitude to Diameter for Minor Planets". Department of Physics, Engineering, and Astronomy. Stephen F. Austin State University. Archived from the original on 23 July 2011. Retrieved 3 August 2021.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ "MPEC 2021-P17 : 2020 PP1". Minor Planet Electronic Circular. Minor Planet Center. 3 August 2021. Retrieved 3 August 2021.

Further reading

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