Asteroid Ganymed (1036)

Ganymed (1036)

Ganymed (1036) is the largest near-Earth asteroid, it is more than 30 km in diameter. It should not be confused with the moon of Jupiter Ganymede is much larger (5262 km), it is even the largest moon in the solar system. Ganymede (1036) was discovered by Walter Baade, October 23, 1924. It has a very well-defined orbit, and its next pass near the Earth will take place October 13, 2024 at a distance of ≈ 0.374097 AU or 55,964,100 km. This is an Amor asteroid (see note) and a Mars-cruiser. It will pass close to Mars at a distance of 0.02868 AU or 4.29 million kilometers December 16, 2176. We know this because many NEO observers have studied carefully.
An article published in 1931 reported an absolute magnitude of 9.24, slightly brighter than the present value of 9.45. Ganymed is an S-type asteroid, which means it is relatively reflective and composed of iron and magnesium silicates. In 1998, radar observations of Ganymed made ​​by the Arecibo radio telescope, showed an almost spherical asteroid. More recent observations of the light curve of Ganymed reported in 2007, confirming a rotation period of 10.314 ± 0.004 h. Although the asteroid Ganymed is dust on the cosmic scale, with its 30 km in diameter, it is for the Earth, a monster 30,000 billion tons traveling at an impressive speed of 16.86 km/s. On 13 October 2024 it will pass at a safe distance, equivalent to 147 times the Earth-Moon distance.

NB: Amor asteroids are a family of near-Earth asteroids, so named because the asteroid (1221) Amor discovered in March 1932, has a special feature, it does not cross the orbit of the Earth, but brushes it despite everything going to outside near the Earth's orbit. They are therefore outside brushers, that is to say they are approaching from outside the orbit of the Earth, but do not intersect it. Asteroids are classified in this family if their perihelion is strictly less than 1.300 AU.

Image: Ganymed (1036) is the largest near-Earth asteroid, it measures more than 30 km in diameter. There is also an asteroid Amor and a Mars-cruiser. Its next pass near the Earth will take place October 13, 2024 at a distance of ≈ 0.374097 AU or 55,964,100 km. It will spend close to Mars at a distance of 0.02868 AU or 4.29 million kilometers December 16, 2176.
Credit: hubble.org photo - domain public

Image: Asteroid Ganymed orbit, in both near-Earth and Mars cruiser. Credit: astronoo.com