Discovered by LINEAR Observation arc 6960 days (19.06 yr) Inclination 25.71645° Mean anomaly 328.94867° | Discovery date 26 January 2000 Discovered 26 January 2000 Argument of perihelion 324.31756° | |
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Aphelion 1.66093678 AU (248.472606 Gm) Semi-major axis 0.876497123 AU (131.1221033 Gm) Discoverer Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research Similar Solar System, (33342) 1998 WT24, 2062 Aten, 3554 Amun, (66391) 1999 KW4 | ||
(137924) 2000 BD19 (also written 2000 BD19) is an asteroid with the smallest perihelion of any numbered asteroid (0.092 AU—38% of Mercury's orbital radius). With its high eccentricity, not only does (137924) 2000 BD19 get very close to the Sun, but it also travels relatively far away from it. It has the third largest aphelion of any numbered Aten asteroid and is one of a small group of Aten asteroids that is also a Mars grazer. Its orbital elements indicate that may be an extinct comet. It hasn't been seen displaying cometary activity so far.
(137924) 2000 BD19 was discovered by LINEAR in January 2000 and was soon after located by DANEOPS on Palomar plates from February 10, 1997. This allowed a reasonably precise orbit determination, and as a result it was spotted again on February 27, 2001 and January 21, 2002. When it was discovered, it beat 1995 CR's record for both asteroid with the smallest perihelion and for Aten asteroid with the highest eccentricity.
It is estimated that (137924) 2000 BD19's surface temperature reaches ~920 K at perihelion, enough to melt lead and zinc, and nearly enough to melt aluminium. (137924) 2000 BD19 is considered a good candidate for measuring the effects of Albert Einstein's general theory of relativity because of how close it comes to the Sun.