5335 Damocles facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discoverer | Robert H. McNaught |
| Discovery date | February 18, 1991 |
| Alternate designations |
1991 DA |
| Category | Damocloid |
| Orbital elements | |
|
|
|
| Eccentricity (e) | 0.87 |
| Semi-major axis (a) | 11.84 AU |
| Perihelion (q) | 1.58 AU |
| Aphelion (Q) | 22.10 AU |
| Orbital period (P) | 14880.90 d, 40.74 a |
| Mean orbital speed | 6.67 km/s |
| Inclination (i) | 61.95 ° |
| Longitude of the ascending node (Ω) |
.02° |
| Argument of perihelion (ω) |
191.25° |
| Mean anomaly (M) | 133.07° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | ~ 10 km |
| Mass | |
| Density | |
| Surface gravity | |
| Escape velocity | |
| Rotation period | 10.2 h |
| Spectral class | S |
| Absolute magnitude | 13.3 |
| Albedo (geometric) | |
| Mean surface temperature |
|
5335 Damocles is a special kind of asteroid. It's the most famous one in a group called Damocloids. These asteroids are actually like old, sleepy comets that used to be part of the Halley Family. Scientists found Damocles in 1991. It got its name from Damocles, a character from ancient Greek mythology.
Contents
Discovery and Unique Orbit
When Robert H. McNaught discovered Damocles in 1991, its orbit was very unusual. Most known asteroids have orbits that are more circular. Damocles, however, travels in a very stretched-out path.
Where Damocles Travels
Damocles' orbit takes it from inside the farthest point of Mars's orbit all the way out to the planet Uranus. This means it travels from the inner solar system to the outer solar system.
A Changing Path
Scientists noticed that Damocles' orbit seemed to be changing. It looked like it was shifting from a nearly round path in the outer solar system to a much more stretched-out one. This new path brings it closer to the Sun.
The Future of Damocles
Scientists like Duncan Steel, Gerhard Hahn, Mark Bailey, and David Asher studied Damocles' future. They found that it has a good chance of becoming an Earth-crosser asteroid. This means its orbit could one day cross Earth's path.
Stable Orbit
Even with its unusual path, Damocles has a very stable orbit. It stays stable for tens of thousands of years. This is because its orbit is highly tilted. This tilt keeps it from getting too close to giant planets like Jupiter or Saturn. If it came too close, their strong gravity could pull it off course.
What are Damocloids?
Damocloids are a special group of asteroids. They are named after 5335 Damocles because it was the first one discovered. Scientists believe these objects are actually old comets that are no longer active. They don't have the icy tails that active comets do.
See also
In Spanish: (5335) Damocles para niños
