2005 HC4 is the asteroid with the smallest known perihelion of any known object orbiting the Sun (except sungrazing comets). Its extreme orbital eccentricity brings it to within 0.071 AU of the Sun (23% of Mercury's perihelion) and takes it as far as 3.562 AU from the Sun (well beyond the orbit of Mars). Due to its very small perihelion and comparably large aphelion, 2005 HC4 achieves the fastest speed of any known asteroid bound to the Solar System with a velocity of 157 km/s (565,000 km/h; 351,000 mi/h) at perihelion[4] (there are comets, however, which obtain much higher speeds).

2005 HC4
Discovery[1]
Discovered byLONEOS
Discovery date30 April 2005
Designations
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 3 May 2005 (JD 2453493.5)
Uncertainty parameter 9
Aphelion3.5707 AU (534.17 Gm)
Perihelion0.070657 AU (10.5701 Gm)
1.8207 AU (272.37 Gm)
Eccentricity0.96119
2.46 yr (897.30 d)
341.42°
0° 24m 4.32s /day
Inclination8.3967°
63.790°
309.01°
Earth MOID0.0615074 AU (9.20138 Gm)
Jupiter MOID1.92798 AU (288.422 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions210–480 m[3]
20.7

See also edit

References edit

  1. ^ "MPEC 2005-J02 : 2005 HC4". IAU Minor Planet Center. 1 May 2005. Retrieved 5 March 2014. (K05H04C)
  2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2005 HC4)" (2005-05-11 last obs (arc=11 days)). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 30 March 2016.
  3. ^ "NEODyS 2005 HC4". Near Earth Objects – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 7 March 2014.
  4. ^ As calculated with the vis-viva-equation :   where:

External links edit