3360 Syrinx
Apollo asteroid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
3360 Syrinx (originally designated 1981 VA) is an Apollo and Mars crosser asteroid discovered in 1981. It approaches Earth to within 0.27 AU (40 million km; 110 LD) three times in the 21st century: 0.22 AU (33 million km; 86 LD) in 2039, 40 million km in 2070, and 0.16 AU (24 million km; 62 LD) in 2085.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Eleanor F. Helin R. Scott Dunbar |
| Discovery date | 4 November 1981 |
| Designations | |
| (3360) Syrinx | |
| Pronunciation | /ËsɪrɪÅks/[1] |
Named after | Syrinx |
| 1981 VA | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 12556 days (34.38 yr) |
| Aphelion | 4.30603 AU (644,173,000 km) |
| Perihelion | 0.62791 AU (93,934,000 km) |
| 2.46697 AU (369,053,000 km) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.74547 |
| 3.87 yr (1415.3 d) | |
| 315.35° | |
| 0° 15m 15.732s / day | |
| Inclination | 21.154° |
| 242.561° | |
| 63.457° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.107877 AU (16,138,200 km) |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.8 km |
| 0.9 km | |
| 0.17 | |
| 15.9 | |
On 20 September 2012, it closely encountered Earth at a distance of 0.4192 AU (62,710,000 km; 38,970,000 mi),[2] peaking in brightness at an apparent magnitude of 17.0.[3] In opposition on 23 November 2012, it brightened to magnitude 16.0.[3]
It is a member of the Alinda group of asteroids with a 3:1 resonance with Jupiter that has excited the eccentricity of the orbit over the eons.[4] As an Alinda asteroid it makes approaches to Jupiter, Earth, and Venus.[2]
For a time, it was the lowest numbered asteroid that had not been named. In November 2006, this distinction passed to 3708 Socus, and in May 2021 to (4596) 1981 QB.[citation needed]
