37655 Illapa Explained

Minorplanet:yes
Background:
  1. FFC2E0
Illapa
Discovery Ref: 
Discoverer:C. S. Shoemaker
E. M. Shoemaker
Discovery Site:Palomar Obs.
Discovered:1 August 1994
Mpc Name:(37655) Illapa
Alt Names:1994 PM
Mp Category:NEOApolloPHA 
Orbit Ref: 
Epoch:13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty:0
Observation Arc:7645 days (20.93 yr)
Aphelion:2.5901abbr=onNaNabbr=on
Perihelion:0.36604AU
Semimajor:1.478AU
Eccentricity:0.75235
Period:1.80 yr (656.34 d)
Inclination:18.002°
Asc Node:139.70°
Mean Anomaly:299.48°
Mean Motion: / day
Arg Peri:303.72°
Moid:0.0235523AU
Mean Diameter:0.792–1.772 km
1.5 km
Spectral Type:C 
Abs Magnitude:17.9

37655 Illapa (provisional designation ) is a carbonaceous asteroid, classified as near-Earth object and potentially hazardous asteroid of the Apollo group, approximately 1.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered, on 1 August 1994, by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States.

Orbit and classification

On 16 August 2003, Illapa made a close approach to Earth of 0.025037AU.

Physical characteristics

Illapa has an estimated diameter of 0.8 to 1.8 kilometers for an assumed geometric albedo between 0.20 and 0.04. For an assumed albedo of 0.057, which is typical for carbonaceous C-type asteroids, and an absolute magnitude of 17.9, the asteroid has a calculated mean diameter of 1.5 kilometers. The body has a short rotation period of 2.6556 hours.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Illapa (Apu Illapu), the thunder or weather god from Inca mythology.