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Possible Satellite Found Orbiting Asteroid 3671 Dionysus
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- Subject: Possible Satellite Found Orbiting Asteroid 3671 Dionysus
- From: Ron Baalke <BAALKE@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov>
- Date: Wed, 11 Jun 1997 1:58:11 GMT
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POSSIBLE SATELLITE FOUND ORBITING ASTEROID 3671 DIONYSUS
June 10, 1997
According the IAU Circular 6680, astronomers S. Mottola, G. Hahn, P. Pravec
and L. Sarounova using the European Southern Observatory in Chile may have
discovered a satellite orbiting the asteroid 3671 Dionysus. Based on
observations made from May 30 to June 8, attenutations in the asteroid's
brightness were noted, and a period of 1.155 days was derived from these
observations. They interpreted these features as occultations/eclipses of a
satellite orbiting the asteroid. Observers are encouraged to participate in
a monitoring campaign available at:
http://earn.dlr.de/dionysus
Asteroid 3671 Dionysus was discovered by Eugene and Carolyn Shoemaker
on May 27, 1984 at the Palomar Observatory. The asteroid was named
after the Greek God of vegetation, wine and pleasure.
It is an Apollo asteroid and its orbit overlaps the
Earth's orbit. Asteroid 3671 Dionysus will make make a close
flyby of Earth on July 6 of this year at a distance of 0.1144 AU (10.6
million miles or 17.2 million km) with a expected magnitude of 14.9.
Orbital elements and ephemeris of Asteroid 3671 Dionysus are available
at the Minor Planet Center operated by the Smithsonian Astrophyiscal
Observatory:
http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/cfa/ps/Ephemerides/Unusual/03671.html
Ron Baalke
baalke@kelvin.jpl.nasa.gov