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2594 Acamas /ˈækəməs/ is a mid-sized Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 25 kilometers (16 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 4 October 1978, by American astronomer Charles Kowal at the Palomar Observatory in California. The dark Jovian asteroid has a longer-than average rotation period of 26 hours and possibly an elongated shape. It was named after the Thracian leader Acamas from Greek mythology.

Orbit and classification

Acamas is a dark Jovian asteroid in a 1:1 orbital resonance with Jupiter. It is located in the trailering Trojan camp at the Gas Giant's L₅ Lagrangian point, 60° behind on its orbit (see Trojans in astronomy). It is also a non-family asteroid of the Jovian background population.

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 4.6–5.5 AU once every 11 years and 5 months (4,159 days; semi-major axis of 5.06 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar in September 1953, or 25 years prior to its official discovery observation.

Physical characteristics

Acamas is an assumed, carbonaceous C-type asteroid, while most larger Jupiter trojans are D-type asteroids.

Rotation period

In September 2013, a rotational lightcurve of Acamas was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 25.954±0.0468 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.50 magnitude (U=2). A high brightness variation typically indicates that the body has an elongated rather than spherical shape.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Acamas measures 25.87 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo 0.06, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 19.21 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.31.

Naming

This minor planet was named by IAU's Minor Planet Names Committee from Greek mythology after the warrior Acamas (son of Eussorus), ally of Troy and leader of the Thracian contingent during the Trojan War. He was killed by Ajax.

The name was suggested by Frederick Pilcher and published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 February 1993 (M.P.C. 21606).

References

1. ^ "2594 Acamas (1978 TB)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
2. Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
3. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2594 Acamas (1978 TB)" (2018-02-25 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
4. "List of Jupiter Trojans". Minor Planet Center. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
5. ^ "Asteroid (2594) Acamas – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 21 June 2018.
6. ^ Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Masiero, J. R.; Nugent, C. R. (November 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Jovian Trojan Population: Taxonomy". The Astrophysical Journal. 759 (1): 10. arXiv:1209.1549. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759...49G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/759/1/49. S2CID 119101711. (online catalog)
7. ^ "LCDB Data for (2594) Acamas". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 21 June 2018.
8. ^ Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. S2CID 8342929.
9. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 June 2018.

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
• Asteroid 2594 Acamas at the Small Bodies Data Ferret
• 2594 Acamas at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 2594 Acamas at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Jupiter trojans (Trojan camp)
• Discoveries by Charles T. Kowal
• Named minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1978