Asteroid 3753 (1986 TO)

[Bernd Pauli HD <bernd.pauli@lehrer1.rz.uni-karlsruhe.de>]

Astronomy, March 1998, p. 30:

Solar System: Asteroid Shares Orbit with Earth

How many natural companions does Earth have? If you thought there was
just one, the moon, then you're in for a surprise. Planetary scientists
have recently discovered a second - this one an asteroid. However, the
new companion doesn't orbit Earth on a nice elliptical path like the
moon but instead follows a complex, horseshoe-shaped path.
Asteroid 3753, also known as 1986 TO, is not a second moon of Earth but
instead plays the role of a "traveling companion." Its complicated
movement, which involves interactions with both the Earth-moon system
and the sun, was discovered by Paul Wiegert and Kimmo Innanen of York
University in Ontario, Canada, and Seppo Mikkola of Tuorla Observatory
in Piikkiö, Finland.
The asteroid is in a spiraling horseshoe orbit. To envision a simple
horseshoe orbit, think of a three-lane, circular race track. Earth is a
large truck traveling at constant speed in the middle lane and the
asteroid is a car moving a little slower in the outer lane. Just before
the truck is ready to pass, the car switches to the inner lane and
speeds up. It then starts to pull away from the truck but, being on a
circular track, the car eventually catches up from behind. just before
it passes the truck, however, it again switches to the outer lane and
slows down. Then the whole pattern repeats. In the case of 3753, the
asteroid's path spirals as it performs these maneuvers.
The asteroid won't stay in this relationship forever. Over the course of
thousands of years, gravitational interactions with Venus, Mars, and
Jupiter will eject it from its current orbit. "Having waltzed with Earth
for thousands of years," says Wiegert, "it may go looking for a new
dance partner."


Best regards,

Bernd


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