(85182) 1991 AQ
1991 AQ is a stony asteroid on a highly eccentric orbit, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately in diameter. It was discovered on 14 January 1991, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California. Based on its brightness variation of 0.69 magnitude, this Q-type asteroid is likely elongated. It belongs to the small group of potentially hazardous asteroids larger than one kilometer.
Orbit and classification
is a member of the Earth-crossing class of Apollo asteroids, the largest group of near-Earth objects with approximately 10 thousand known members. It is also a Venus- and Mars-crosser due to its extreme perihelion and aphelion, respectively.
It orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.5–3.9 AU once every 3 years and 4 months. Its orbit has a high eccentricity of 0.78 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Palomar in 1991.
Close approaches
The asteroid has currently an Earth minimum orbital intersection distance of, which corresponds to 6.4 lunar distances and makes it a potentially hazardous asteroid due to its notably large size. In 1991 and 1994, it approached Earth at a nominal distance of. The asteroids closest encounter with Earth is projected to occur on 27 January 2130, at a distance of only . It also makes close encounters to Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter.
In the Tholen classification, this object is an uncommon Q-type asteroid, that falls into the larger stony S-complex. As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of this asteroid has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown. It has a brightness variation of 0.69 magnitude, indicative for an elongated, non-spherical shape.
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, this asteroid measures 1.1 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.242. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.18 and derives a diameter of 1.14 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 17.20.
Numbering and naming
This minor planet was numbered by the Minor Planet Center on 30 August 2004. As of 2018, it has not been named.