Discovered by Eugène Joseph Delporte Alternative names 1932 EA1 Aphelion 2.7551 AU (412.16 Gm) Inclination 11.88° Discoverer Eugène Joseph Delporte | Discovery date 12 March 1932 Observation arc 83.52 yr (30505 days) Discovered 12 March 1932 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Amor asteroid | |
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Minor planet category Amor II asteroid,
Mars-crosser asteroid Discovery site Royal Observatory of Belgium Similar 2062 Aten, Sun, Solar System, 1862 Apollo, 2101 Adonis | ||
The 1221 amor studio diary 1
1221 Amor is the namesake of the Amor asteroids, a group of near-Earth asteroids whose orbits range between those of Earth and Mars. Amors are often Mars-crossers but they are not Earth-crossers.
Eugène Joseph Delporte photographed Amor as it approached Earth to within 16 million kilometers (about 40 times the distance from Earth to the moon); this was the first time that an asteroid was seen to approach Earth so closely. A month later, 1862 Apollo was seen to cross Earth's orbit, and the scientific community suddenly realised the potential threat these flying mountains presented.
Amor is named after the Roman god of love, better known as Cupid. See also 763 Cupido and 433 Eros, which is named after Cupid's Greek counterpart. Coincidentally, 433 Eros, like 1221 Amor, makes close approaches to Earth. It is a Mars-crosser as well.