3752 Camillo

3752 Camillo is an inclined contact-binary asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Apollo group, approximately in diameter. It was discovered on 15 August 1985, by astronomers Eleanor Helin and Maria Barucci using a telescope at the CERGA Observatory in Caussols, France. Lightcurve studies by Petr Pravec in 1998 suggest that the assumed S-type asteroid has an elongated shape and a longer-than average rotation period of 38 hours.

Orbit

Camillo orbits the Sun at a distance of 0.99–1.8 AU once every 20 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.30 and an inclination of 56° with respect to the ecliptic.

Close approaches

The closest point between the orbit of the Earth and the orbit of this asteroid is currently or 30 lunar distances, so Camillo does not come close enough to Earth to qualify as a potentially hazardous asteroid. It came to perihelion on 6 January 1976 and, on 17 February 1976 and passed within of Earth.

2013 passage

Camillo came to perihelion on 27 December 2012. On 12 February 2013 the asteroid passed from Earth and had an apparent magnitude of 13. During the 2013 passage the asteroid was studied by radar using Goldstone [Deep Space Communications Complex|Goldstone] and Arecibo.

2018 passage

On February 20, 2018, the asteroid passed by Earth. It was observed on radar by Arecibo Observatory and shown to have a long angular double-lobed shape. At distance its peak magnitude was about 13.

Naming

This minor planet was named for the son of the early Roman King Turno. "Camillo" is also the name of the discoverer's son. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 1989.