2061 Anza
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H. L. Giclas |
| Discovery site | Flagstaff (LO) |
| Discovery date | 22 October 1960 |
| Designations | |
| (2061) Anza | |
Named after | Juan Bautista de Anza (Governor of Nuevo México)[2] |
| 1960 UA | |
| Amor · NEO[1] Mars-crosser | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 56.56 yr (20,659 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4824 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.0527 AU |
| 2.2675 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.5358 |
| 3.41 yr (1,247 days) | |
| 251.57° | |
| 0° 17m 19.32s / day | |
| Inclination | 3.7970° |
| 207.41° | |
| 156.95° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.0570 AU · 22.2 LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2.6 km[3] 2.71 km (calculated)[4] |
| 11.50 h[5] | |
| 0.057 (assumed)[4] | |
| Tholen = TCG:[1][3][4] B–V = 0.825[1] U–B = 0.350[1] | |
| 16.56[1][3][4] | |
2061 Anza, provisional designation 1960 UA, is an eccentric asteroid of the Amor group, a subtype of near-Earth objects, estimated to measure approximately 2.7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 October 1960, by American astronomer Henry Giclas at Lowell's Flagstaff Observatory in Arizona, United States.[6] The asteroid was later named after Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza.[2]
Close approaches
Anza is an Amor asteroid – a subgroup of near-Earth asteroids that approach the orbit of Earth from beyond, but do not cross it. Orbiting the Sun at a distance of 1.1–3.5 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,247 days), its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.54 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Due to its high eccentricity, Anza also classifies as a Mars-crosser. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation.[6]
The asteroid has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance (MOID) of 0.0570 AU (8,530,000 km) which correspond to 22.2 lunar distances. On 7 October 1960, it passed Earth at 0.0634 AU (9,480,000 km) and was tracked for a period of 3.5 months to determine a better orbit. It was not observed again until its next near-Earth approach of 1977.[6]
