65803 Didymos
65803 Didymos (provisional designation 1996 GT) is a sub-kilometer asteroid and binary system that is classified as a potentially hazardous asteroid and near-Earth object of the Apollo group. The asteroid was discovered in 1996 by the Spacewatch survey at Kitt Peak, and its small 160-meter minor-planet moon, named Dimorphos, was discovered in 2003. Due to its binary nature, the asteroid was then named Didymos, the Greek word for 'twin'.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Spacewatch |
| Discovery site | Kitt Peak National Observatory |
| Discovery date | 11 April 1996 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (65803) Didymos |
| Pronunciation | /ˈdɪdɪmɒs/ |
Named after | Greek word for "Twin" |
Alternative designations | 1996 GT |
Minor planet category | NEO · PHA Apollo (2022) |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 21 January 2022 (JD 2459600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 24.82 years (9,066 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.2753 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.0131 AU |
Semi-major axis | 1.6442 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.38385 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 2.11 yr (770 days) |
Mean anomaly | 232.01 |
Mean motion | 0° 28m 2.28s / day |
| Inclination | 3.4079° |
Longitude of ascending node | 73.196° |
| 319.32° | |
| Known satellites | 1 (Dimorphos) |
| Earth MOID | 0.0403 AU (15.7 LD) |
| Mars MOID | 0.02 AU (7.8 LD) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 851 × 849 × 620 m (± 15 × 15 × 15 m) |
Mean diameter | 765±15 m |
| Mass | (5.4±0.4)×1011 kg (system) ≈ 5.2×1011 kg (primary) |
Mean density | 2.40±0.30 g/cm3 |
Synodic rotation period | 2.2600±0.0001 2.2593±0.0002 h |
| 174°±20° | |
Pole ecliptic latitude | −84°±20° |
Pole ecliptic longitude | 310°±20° |
| 0.15±0.04 | |
| S · SMASS = Xk · X | |
| 18.0 · 18.16 18.16±0.03 | |
Didymos's moon, Dimorphos, was the target of the DART mission to test the viability of asteroid impact avoidance by collision with a spacecraft, while the impact was witnessed by LICIACube, a flyby CubeSat component of the mission.
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