2018 FC4

2018 FC4 is a small asteroid and Mars trojan orbiting near the L5 point of Mars (60 degrees behind Mars on its orbit).[2]

2018 FC4
Discovery
Discovered byMt. Lemmon Survey
Discovery date21 March 2018
Designations
2018 FC4
Martian L5
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc790 days (2.16 yr)
Aphelion1.5498684 AU (231.85701 Gm)
Perihelion1.497823 AU (224.0711 Gm)
1.5238457 AU (227.96407 Gm)
Eccentricity0.017077
1.88 yr (687.0841 d)
4.660°
0° 31m 26.232s /day
Inclination22.1437°
187.55390°
52.009°
Earth MOID0.507683 AU (75.9483 Gm)
Jupiter MOID3.41333 AU (510.627 Gm)
Physical characteristics
Dimensions200 m
0.5-0.05 (assumed)
21.3

    Discovery, orbit and physical properties

    2018 FC4 was first observed on 21 March 2018 by the Mt. Lemmon Survey, but it had already been imaged (but not identified as an asteroid) by the Pan-STARRS 1 telescope system at Haleakala on the previous night.[3] Its orbit is characterized by very low eccentricity (0.017), moderate inclination (22.1°) and a semi-major axis of 1.52 AU.[3] Upon discovery, it was classified as Mars-crosser by the Minor Planet Center. Its orbit is reasonably well determined as it is currently (January 2021) based on 35 observations with a data-arc span of 790 days.[1] 2018 FC4 has an absolute magnitude of 21.3 which gives a characteristic diameter of 200 m.[1]

    Mars trojan and orbital evolution

    Recent calculations indicate that it is a stable L5 Mars trojan with a libration period of 1300 yr and an amplitude of 20°.[2] These values are similar to those of 5261 Eureka and related objects and it may be a member of the so-called Eureka family.


    See also

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: (2018 FC4)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 January 2021.
    2. de la Fuente Marcos, Carlos; de la Fuente Marcos, Raúl (March 2021). "Using Mars co-orbitals to estimate the importance of rotation-induced YORP break-up events in Earth co-orbital space". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 501 (4): 6007–6025. arXiv:2101.02563. Bibcode:2021MNRAS.501.6007D. doi:10.1093/mnras/stab062.
    3. MPC data on 2018 FC4
    Further reading

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