Dancing with Venus in the shadow of the Earth: a pair of genetically related near-Earth asteroids trapped in a mean-motion resonance
C de la Fuente Marcos & R de la Fuente Marcos (2018)
- Published
- Nov 15, 2018
- Journal
- Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society: Letters · Vol. 483 · No. 1
- DOI
- 10.1093/mnrasl/sly214
At a GlanceAI
Identifies NEA pair 2017 SN16–2018 RY7 stabilized by Venus’ 3:5 MMR, preserving evidence of recent genetic splitting.
SummaryAI
Near-Earth asteroid orbits usually randomize quickly, making it hard to identify genetically related pairs formed by YORP-induced fission. This study reports two NEAs, 2017 SN16 and 2018 RY7, whose relative mean longitude shows no secular drift because the 3:5 mean-motion resonance with Venus stabilizes their configuration and helps them avoid disruptive encounters. The work highlights mean-motion resonances as a mechanism that can preserve observable signatures of asteroid splitting even in near-Earth space. It argues the pair likely formed via either YORP-induced splitting or binary dissociation, suggesting similar resonance-protected pair formation could occur elsewhere.
Method SnapshotAI
Dynamical orbital evolution analysis focused on resonance behavior of the pair’s relative mean longitude under the 3:5 Venus MMR.
BackgroundAI
Celestial mechanics of near-Earth asteroids, mean-motion resonances, and basic familiarity with YORP-driven rotational evolution.