Discovered by J. Alu MPC designation (6037) 1988 EG Minor planet category Apollo · NEO · PHA Discovered 12 March 1988 Orbits Sun Discovery site Palomar Observatory | Discovery date 12 March 1988 Alternative names 1988 EG Observation arc 28.24 yr (10,315 days) Absolute magnitude 18.7 Discoverer Jeff T. Alu Asteroid group Apollo asteroid | |
Similar 3362 Khufu, 4183 Cuno, 1865 Cerberus, 2201 Oljato, 2212 Hephaistos | ||
(6037) 1988 EG, is an eccentric, stony asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid. It belongs to the group of Apollo asteroids and measures approximately half a kilometer in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Jeff T. Alu at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, on 12 March 1988.
The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.6–1.9 AU once every 17 months (524 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.50 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.
The asteroid has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0242 AU (3,600,000 km). In combination with its size, this makes it a potentially hazardous asteroid, which require an intersection distance with Earth of less than 0.05 AU, which is about 19.5 times the distance to the moon, and a diameter of at least 150 meters. On 27 February 2041, it will pass 0.02437 AU (3,646,000 km) from Earth. It also makes close approaches to Mars and Venus.
An ambiguous light-curve was obtained through photometric observations by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec in 1998. The light-curve gave a rotation period of 7000275999999999999♠2.760±0.002 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 in magnitude. The alternative period solution is 7000291900000000000♠2.919±0.22 hours with an amplitude of 0.22 in magnitude (U=2).
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 540 meters, based on an absolute magnitude of 18.7. Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope using its Infrared Array Camera at wavelengths between 3.6 and 8.0 micrometers, gave an average diameter of 399 meters with a higher albedo of 0.37.