2010 AA15 is a sub-kilometer asteroid from the inner asteroid belt, that has a similar but different orbit than main-belt comet P/2010 A2.[4] During January 2010, it had been observed for two weeks by the Mount Lemmon Survey, but has since become a lost asteroid. As of 2020 the object has not been recovered.[1]

2010 AA15
2010 AA15 likely did not interact with main-belt comet P/2010 A2
Discovery[1]
Discovered byMLS
Discovery siteMount Lemmon Obs.
Discovery date7 January 2010
(first observation only)
Designations
2010 AA15
main-belt[1][2]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 6
Observation arc(15 days)
Aphelion2.6329 AU
Perihelion1.9933 AU
2.3131 AU
Eccentricity0.1383
3.52 yr (1,285 days)
6.7537°
0° 16m 48.72s / day
Inclination4.6880°
324.05°
142.78°
Physical characteristics
380 m (est. at 0.24)[3]
840 m (est. at 0.05)[3]
19.254±0.3468[2]

Description

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Using the best-fit short-arc orbital data, it appears as if the closest that comet P/2010 A2 came to asteroid 2010 AA15 is around 0.0155 AU (2,300,000 kilometres (1,430,000 miles)) on 22 November 2009.[4]

This asteroid was discovered on 7 January 2010.[2] Since it has only been observed over a fifteen-day arc of its 3.5 year orbit, details of the exact orbit still need further refining for easy recovery of this object in the distant future.[2] The asteroid appears to have come to perihelion (closest approach to the Sun) on around 10 January 2010,[2] only a couple days after its discovery.

Based on an absolute magnitude of 19.2,[2] and an assumed albedo of 0.24 and 0.05, 2010 AA15 is likely to measure 380 meters (1,250 feet) and 840 meters (2,760 feet) in diameter for a stony and carbonaceous composition, respectively.[3]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "2010 AA15". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2010 AA15)" (2010-01-22 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 April 2017.
  3. ^ a b c "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 9 September 2020.
  4. ^ a b Ireneusz Wlodarczyk (3 February 2010). "Re: {MPML} P/2010 A2, 2010 AA15 results of a collision? (probably no)". Yahoo! Groups (Minor Planet Mailing List). Retrieved 3 February 2010.
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