Discovered by C. A. Wirtanen MPC designation 1863 Antinous Minor planet category Apollo · NEO Discovered 7 March 1948 Orbits Sun Discovery site Lick Observatory | Discovery date 7 March 1948 Alternative names 1948 EA Observation arc 68.67 yr (25,082 days) Aphelion 3.63 m Discoverer Carl A. Wirtanen | |
Named after Antinous (Greek mythology) Carl A. Wirtanen discoveries 1685 Toro, (29075) 1950 DA, 46P/Wirtanen | ||
1863 Antinous, provisional designation 1948 EA, is a stony asteroid and near-Earth object, approximately 2–3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 March 1948, by American astronomer Carl Wirtanen at Lick Observatory on the summit of Mount Hamilton, California.
Antinous is also classified as a Mars-crosser and Apollo asteroid. The SU/Sq-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.9–3.6 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,240 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.61 and an inclination of 18° with respect to the ecliptic.
It takes 7.46 hours to rotate around its axis. Its albedo is 0.240, while other observations find a much lower value of 0.10–0.11.
It has an Earth Minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.1831 AU. In the 20th century Antinous passed within 30 Gm of the Earth five times; it will do so only once in the 21st. The nearest distance increases each time, from 26 to 29 Gm.
The Apollo asteroid was named after Antinous of Greek mythology. Antinous was one of the many unwelcome suitors for Penelope's hand while her husband, Odysseus, was away on his travels (also see 201 Penelope and 1143 Odysseus). Antinous, being the most insolent of all, was the first to be killed by Odysseus on his return. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 3935).