(6037) 1988 EG


is an eccentric, stony asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid. It belongs to the group of Apollo asteroids and measures approximately half a kilometer in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Jeff T. Alu at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, on 12 March 1988.

Classification and orbit

An S-type asteroid, orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.6–1.9 AU once every 1 years and 5 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.50 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.
The asteroid has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of. In combination with its size, this makes it a potentially hazardous asteroid. A PHA requires a MOID with Earth of less than 0.05 AU, which is about 19.5 times the distance to the Moon, and a diameter of at least 150 meters. On 27 February 2041, it will pass from Earth. It also makes close approaches to Mars and Venus.

Physical characteristics

Lightcurve

An ambiguous lightcurve was obtained through photometric observations by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec in 1998. The light-curve gave a rotation period of hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 in magnitude. The alternative period solution is hours with an amplitude of 0.22 in magnitude.

Diameter and albedo

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 540 meters, based on an absolute magnitude of 18.7. Observations with the Spitzer Space Telescope using its Infrared Array Camera at wavelengths between 3.6 and 8.0 micrometers, gave an average diameter of 399 meters with a higher albedo of 0.37.