2002 Euler

2002 Euler

Discovery
Discovered by	T. Smirnova
Discovery site	CrAO (Nauchnyj)
Discovery date	29 August 1973
Designations
MPC designation	2002 Euler
Named after	Leonhard Euler
Alternative names	1973 QQ1 · 1938 DW 1942 GJ · 1953 EB 1973 SJ2
Minor planet category	main-belt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	73.43 yr (26,819 days)
Aphelion	2.5838 AU
Perihelion	2.2508 AU
Semi-major axis	2.4173 AU
Eccentricity	0.0688
Orbital period	3.76 yr (1372.7 days)
Average orbital speed	19.13 km/s
Mean anomaly	149.96°
Inclination	8.5023°
Longitude of ascending node	178.65°
Argument of perihelion	53.890°
Earth MOID	1.2532 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	17.4 km
Mass	5.5×1015 kg
Mean density	2.0 g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity	0.0049 m/s²
Equatorial escape velocity	0.0092 km/s
Rotation period	5.9929 h
Sidereal rotation period	9.9929 d
Geometric albedo	0.0839
Temperature	~ 179 K
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.4

2002 Euler, provisional designation 1973 QQ₁, is an asteroid from the asteroid belt, about 17 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on August 29, 1973, by Russian astronomer Tamara Smirnova at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj. The asteroid's low-eccentric, only slightly inclined orbit has a period of 3 years and 9 month with a semi-major axis of 2.4 AU. It rotates around its axis every 6 hours. Its geometric albedo of 0.084 has been measured by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite (IRAS).

It was named after Swiss mathematician, physicist and astronomer Leonhard Euler (1707–1783). His contributions to astronomy included two theories for the motion of the Moon. Euler spent much of his time in St. Petersburg and was associated with the Russian Academy of Sciences.

External links

• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• 2002 Euler at the JPL Small-Body Database

• Discovery · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters