3200 Phaethon3200 Phaethon (1983 TB) was discovered on 1983 Oct. 11 by NASA’s Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS). With a diameter of about 5 km, Phaethon is the third largest near-Earth asteroid classified as “Potentially Hazardous” after 53319 1999 JM8 (~7 km) and 4183 Cuno (~5.6 km).
What is the asteroid Phaethon?
Phaethon is classified as a “Potentially Hazardous Asteroid” by the Minor Planet Center.
How often does Phaethon orbit the Sun?
Phaethon orbits the sun every 524 days (1.43 years), coming as close as 0.14 AU and reaching as far as 2.40 AU from the sun. Its orbit is highly elliptical. Phaethon is about 6.3 kilometers in diameter, making it larger than 99% of asteroids, comparable in size to the San Francisco Bay. The rotation of Phaethon has been observed.
How far away is Phaethon from Earth?
Phaethon’s orbit is 0.02 AU from Earth’s orbit at its closest point. This means that there is an wide berth between this asteroid and Earth at all times. Phaethon’s orbit is determined by observations dating back to Oct. 27, 1983. It was last officially observed on July 20, 2021.
What is the classification of the asteroid Phaethon?
Sun · Mercury · Venus · Earth · Mars · 3200 Phaethon Phaethon is categorized as an Apollo asteroid, as its orbital semi-major axis is greater than that of the Earth ‘s at 1.27 AU (190 million km; 118 million mi). It is also suspected to be a member of the Pallas family of asteroids.
What are the physical characteristics of Phaethon?
Physical characteristics. Phaethon’s composition fits the notion of its cometary origin; it is classified as a B-type asteroid because it is composed of dark material. Since its discovery, several other objects were found exhibiting mixed cometary and asteroidal features, such as 133P/Elst–Pizarro .
What is the surface temperature of Phaethon at perihelion?
The surface temperature at perihelion could reach around 1,025 K (750 °C; 1,390 °F). Phaethon is a possible candidate for detecting general relativistic and/or solar oblateness effects in its orbital motion due to the frequent close approaches to the Sun.
