(434326) 2004 JG6

Near-Earth asteroid March 2020 yes (434326) 2004 JG 6 #FFC2E0 11 May 2004 LONEOS Anderson Mesa Stn. (434326) 2004 JG 6 Atira NEO PHA Mercury-crosser Venus-crosser 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) 1 11.05 yr (4,035 days) 0.9726 AU 0.2978 AU 0.6352 AU 0.5312 0.51 yr (185 days) 315.54° 1.9468 ms / day 18.945° 37.032° 352.99° 0.0381 AU (14.8 LD) 0.6–1.4 km 18.4 (434326) 2004 JG 6 is an eccentric, sub-kilometer sized asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Atira group. It is one of the closest orbiting objects to the Sun. While its perihelion lies within the orbit of Mercury its orbital trajectory is highly elliptical, causing its aphelion to cross the orbit of Venus. Therefore, it does not fit the criteria for a vulcanoid or ꞋAylóꞌchaxnim asteroid, which would require it have a wholly intra-Mercurian and intra-Venusian orbit respectively. Only the second Atira asteroid to be confirmed, 2004 JG 6 was at the time of its discovery the asteroid with the smallest known semi-major axis, however it has since been eclipsed in this regard by several other asteroids. Discovery 2004 JG 6 was discovered on 11 May 2004, by leading astronomer Brian Skiff of the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) at Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, United States. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa, as no precoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made. Orbit and classification It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.3–1.0 AU once every 6 months (185 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.53 and an inclination of 19° with respect to the ecliptic. 2004 JG 6 is the second known Atira asteroid the first being the group's namesake 163693 Atira which means its entire orbit lies within that of the Earth. Its orbital period is less than that of Venus, making it one of the closest known objects to the Sun, after Mercury. Due to its eccentric orbit, it crosses the orbits of both Mercury and Venus, which also makes it a Mercury- and Venus-crosser. It has an Earth minimum orbital intersection distance of 0.0381 AU km on 3 which translates into 14.8 lunar distances. Physical characteristics Based on a generic conversion from absolute magnitude, the asteroid measures between 0.6 and 1.4 kilometers in diameter. Naming As of 2023, this minor planet remains unnamed. References 30em 2015-05-29 last obs. JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 434326 (2004 JG6) https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2434326;cad=1 Jet Propulsion Laboratory 2 June 2017 434326 (2004 JG6) Minor Planet Center https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=434326 25 April 2017 434326 (2004 JG6) NEODyS-2, Near Earth Objects Dynamic Site https://newton.spacedys.com/neodys2/index.php?pc=1.1.9&n=2004JG6 25 April 2017 LONEOS Discovers Asteroid with the Smallest Orbit Space Daily 12 July 2004 http://www.spacedaily.com/news/asteroid-04g.html 25 April 2017 External links Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info https://web.archive.org/web/20171216050541/http://www.minorplanet.info/lightcurvedatabase.html 16 December 2017 ) Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR https://web.archive.org/web/20160729213840/http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page_cou.html 29 July 2016 Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (430001)–(435000) Minor Planet Center 2434326 434326 (434326) 2004 JG 6 Category:Atira asteroids Category:Discoveries by LONEOS Category:Potentially hazardous asteroids 20040511