12444 Prothoon

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12444 Prothoon
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. W. Elst
Discovery siteLa Silla Obs.
Discovery date15 April 1996
Designations
(12444) Prothoon
Pronunciation/ˈprɒθoʊ.ɒn/
Named after
Προθόων Prothoōn[1]
(Greek mythology)
1996 GE19
Minor planet category
Jupiter trojan [1][2][3]
Trojan [4][5] · background [5]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc22.17 yr (8,096 d)
Aphelion5.6206 AU
Perihelion4.8680 AU
5.2443 AU
Eccentricity0.0718
12.01 yr (4,387 d)
240.44°
0° 4m 55.56s / day
Inclination30.827°
213.23°
64.656°
Jupiter MOID0.3876 AU
TJupiter2.7120
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
62.41±2.92 km[6]
63.84±0.84 km[7]
64.31±15.8 km[8]
64.41 km (derived)[3]
15.82±0.01 h[9]
0.039±0.030[8]
0.043±0.004[6]
0.0467 (derived)[3]
0.052±0.008[7]
C (assumed)[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)
9.8[1][2][7]
9.9[3]
9.95±0.31[10]
10.10[6][8]

12444 Prothoon /ˈprɒθoʊ.ɒn/ is a large Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 64 kilometers (40 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 15 April 1996, by Belgian astronomer Eric Elst at the La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.[1] The assumed C-type asteroid is one of the 60 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 15.82 hours.[3] It was named after Prothoon from Greek mythology.[1]

Orbit and classification[]

Prothoon is a dark Jovian asteroid orbiting in the trailering Trojan camp at Jupiter's L5 Lagrangian point, 60° behind on the Gas Giant's orbit in a 1:1 resonance (see Trojans in astronomy). This asteroid is not a member of any asteroid family but belongs to the Jovian background population.[5][11] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 4.9–5.6 AU once every 12.01 years (4,387 days; semi-major axis of 5.24 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 31° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at La Silla in March 1996, one month prior to its official discovery observation.[1]

Physical characteristics[]

Prothoon is an assumed C-type asteroid.[3]

Rotation period[]

In August 2011, a rotational lightcurve of Prothoon was obtained from photometric observations by Robert Stephens at the Goat Mountain Astronomical Research Station (G79) in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 15.82 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 magnitude (U=3-).[3][9]

Diameter and albedo[]

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, and the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, Prothoon measures between 62.41 and 64.31 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.039 and 0.052.[6][7][8]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0467 and a diameter of 64.41 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.9.[3]

100+ largest Jupiter trojans

Naming[]

This minor planet was named from Greek mythology after the Trojan warrior Prothoon, who was killed by Teucer during the Trojan War.[1] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 January 2003 (M.P.C. 47300).[12]

References[]

  1. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h "12444 Prothoon (1996 GE19)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  2. ^ Jump up to: a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 12444 Prothoon (1996 GE19)" (2018-05-24 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  3. ^ Jump up to: a b c d e f g h i "LCDB Data for (12444) Prothoon". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  4. ^ "List of Jupiter Trojans". Minor Planet Center. 30 May 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  5. ^ Jump up to: a b c "Asteroid (12444) Prothoon – Proper elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  6. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  7. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Masiero, J. R.; Nugent, C. R. (November 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Jovian Trojan Population: Taxonomy". The Astrophysical Journal. 759 (1): 10. arXiv:1209.1549. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759...49G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/759/1/49. S2CID 119101711. (online catalog)
  8. ^ Jump up to: a b c d Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System – IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 15 June 2018.
  9. ^ Jump up to: a b French, Linda M.; Stephens, Robert D.; Coley, Daniel R.; Megna, Ralph; Wasserman, Lawrence H. (July 2012). "Photometry of 17 Jovian Trojan Asteroids". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (3): 183–187. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39..183F. ISSN 1052-8091.
  10. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339.
  11. ^ "Asteroid 12444 Prothoon". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 8 June 2018.
  12. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 June 2018.

External links[]

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