Discovered by Mt. Lemmon Survey MPC designation 2011 UN63 Observation arc 1587 days (4.34 yr) | Discovery date October 21, 2011 Minor planet category Martian L5 | |
 | ||
Aphelion 1.6222522 AU (242.68547 Gm) | ||
2011 UN63, also written as 2011 UN63, is a small minor body orbiting near the L5 point of Mars (60 degrees behind Mars on its orbit).
Contents
Discovery, orbit and physical properties
2011 UN63 was first observed on September 27, 2009 by the Mt. Lemmon Survey and given the provisional designation 2009 SA170. Lost, it was re-discovered on October 21, 2011 again by the Mt. Lemmon Survey. 2011 UN63 follows a low eccentricity orbit (0.064) with a semi-major axis of 1.52 AU. This object has moderate orbital inclination (20.4°). It was classified as Mars-crosser by the Minor Planet Center upon discovery. Its orbit is relatively well determined as it is currently (March 2013) based on 64 observations with a data-arc span of 793 days. This asteroid has an absolute magnitude of 19.7 which gives a characteristic diameter of 560 m.
Mars trojan and orbital evolution
Recent calculations indicate that it is a stable L5 Mars trojan asteroid with a libration period of 1350 yr and an amplitude of 14°. These values as well as its short-term orbital evolution are similar to those of 5261 Eureka or 2011 SC191.
Origin
Long-term numerical integrations show that its orbit is very stable on Gyr time-scales (1 Gyr = 1 billion years). As in the case of Eureka, calculations in both directions of time (4.5 Gyr into the past and 4.5 Gyr into the future) indicate that 2011 UN63 may be a primordial object, perhaps a survivor of the planetesimal population that formed in the terrestrial planets region early in the history of the Solar System.