911 Agamemnon
911 Agamemnon is a significant Jupiter Trojan asteroid, which orbits the sun in a manner that synchronizes with Jupiter's orbit, either just ahead of or behind the planet. Classified among the remnants of the early solar system, Trojan asteroids like Agamemnon provide valuable insights into its formation billions of years ago. It is recognized as the third-largest Jupiter Trojan, with an estimated diameter of 167 kilometers (104 miles). This asteroid was discovered on March 19, 1919, by Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth, who contributed extensively to asteroid research at the Heidelberg Observatory.
Research has indicated that 911 Agamemnon has a rotational period of approximately 6.59 hours and potentially possesses a small moon orbiting it. The study of such asteroids is essential not only for understanding the solar system's history but also for future possibilities of resource mining in space. Overall, 911 Agamemnon serves as a key subject of interest within the field of astronomy and planetary science.
911 Agamemnon
FIELDS OF STUDY: Astronomy; Observational Astronomy; Cosmology
ABSTRACT: 911 Agamemnon is a Trojan asteroid near Jupiter. Trojan asteroids are asteroids that share the orbital periods of other planets. They travel just ahead of or behind the planet’s orbit. 911 Agamemnon is one of the largest Trojan asteroids. German astronomer Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth discovered it in 1919.
Trojan Asteroids and 911 Agamemnon
911 Agamemnon is a Jupiter Trojan asteroid. A Trojan asteroid orbits the sun at about the same rate of time as its planet does and just ahead of or behind the planet’s orbit. Trojan asteroids are sometimes called minor planets, and they are left over from when the solar system formed billions of years ago. Most of the known Trojan asteroids share Jupiter’s orbit, but Mars and Neptune Trojans also exist. Scientists even discovered an Earth Trojan asteroid in 2011.
Researchers believe that 911 Agamemnon is the third-largest Jupiter Trojan asteroid, with a diameter of about 167 kilometers (104 miles). In 2012, researchers recorded 911 Agamemnon as it passed over North America. From their observations, researchers determined that it most likely has a small satellite, or moon, that orbits it.
History of 911 Agamemnon
Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth (1892–1979) was a scientist who searched for undiscovered asteroids. Reinmuth started working at the Heidelberg Observatory in Germany in 1912 and remained there until 1957. During that time, Reinmuth discovered 395 asteroids. On March 19, 1919, Reinmuth discovered Trojan asteroid 911 Agamemnon.
From the 1960s to the early 1990s, scientists studied the movements of 911 Agamemnon and determined that it had a rotational period of about seven hours. However, a 2009 study gave a more precise measurement of 6.59 hours per rotation.
Studying 911 Agamemnon and Other Asteroids
Studying Trojan asteroids, such as 911 Agamemnon, is important for several reasons. The first is that those asteroids were most likely formed when the solar system was formed. Therefore, they could give scientists information about the very early solar system. Furthermore, Trojan asteroids and other asteroids could be mined in the future to bring valuable resources back to Earth.
PRINCIPAL TERMS
- asteroid: a small, rocky space object that orbits the sun or another celestial body.
- Trojan asteroid: an asteroid that shares an orbital period with a planet and maintains a consistent distance from that planet.
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