1404 Ajax

1404 Ajax
Discovery [1]
Discovered by K. Reinmuth
Discovery site Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date 17 August 1936
Designations
MPC designation 1404 Ajax
Named after
 Ajax
(Greek mythology)[2]
1936 QW
Jupiter trojan [1][3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 79.66 yr (29097 days)
Aphelion 5.9018 AU (882.90 Gm)
Perihelion 4.7052 AU (703.89 Gm)
5.3035 AU (793.39 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.11282
12.21 yr (4461.06 d)
198.40°
0° 4m 50.513s / day
Inclination 18.003°
332.97°
59.947°
Earth MOID 3.75006 AU (561.001 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 0.0400381 AU (5.98961 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter 2.889
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 81.69 km[4]
96.34±2.25 km[5]
83.99±1.28 km[6]
81.43 km (derived)[3]
Mean radius
 40.845±1.6 km
29.38 h (1.224 d)[1][7]
28.4 h[8]
34 h[9]
0.0665[4]
0.050±0.003[5]
0.048±0.009[6]
0.0508 (derived)[3]
0.0665±0.005[1]
C [3]
9.3

    1404 Ajax, provisional designation 1936 QW, is a large, carbonaceous Jupiter trojan, about 82 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory on 17 August 1936.[10]

    The C-type body belongs to the Greek Camp of Trojan asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the L4 Lagrangian point of the Sun-Jupiter system at a distance of 4.7–5.9 AU once every 12 years and 3 months (4,462 days). It has a rotation period of 29.4 hours[7] and an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.07, as measured by the IRAS, Akari, WISE and NEOWISE surveys.[4][5][6]

    Jupiter trojans are thought to have been captured into their orbits during or shortly after the early stages of the formation of the Solar System. More than 6,200 Jupiter trojans have already been discovered.[11]

    The minor planet is named after the Greek half-god and hero in the Trojan War, Ajax. He is the son of Telamon, who kills himself because the armor of Achilles was awarded to Odysseus (also see 588 Achilles, 1143 Odysseus and 1749 Telamon).[2]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1404 Ajax (1936 QW)" (2015-05-17 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 27 April 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1404) Ajax. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 113. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 4 "LCDB Data for (1404) Ajax". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    4. 1 2 3 Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    5. 1 2 3 Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; 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. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    6. 1 2 3 Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407Freely accessible. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    7. 1 2 French, Linda M.; Stephens, Robert D.; Lederer, Susan M.; Coley, Daniel R.; Rohl, Derrick A. (April 2011). "Preliminary Results from a Study of Trojan Asteroids". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 38 (2): 116–120. Bibcode:2011MPBu...38..116F. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    8. ↑ Binzel, Richard P.; Sauter, Linda M. (February 1992). "Trojan, Hilda, and Cybele asteroids - New lightcurve observations and analysis". Icarus: 222–238. Bibcode:1992Icar...95..222B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(92)90039-A. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    9. ↑ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1404) Ajax". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    10. ↑ "1404 Ajax (1936 QW)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 November 2015.
    11. ↑ "Trojan Minor Planets". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 November 2014.

    External links


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