2101 Adonis

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2101 Adonis
Discovered by Eugene Delporte
Discovery date February 12, 1936
Other names 1936 CA
Category Apollo, Mars crosser
Reference date October 22, 2004 (JD 2453300.5)
Longest distance from the Sun 494.673 Gm (3.307 AU)
Shortest distance from the Sun 65.906 Gm (0.441 AU)
Longest distance from the center of its orbital path
("semi-major axis")
280.289 Gm (1.874 AU)
How long it takes to complete an orbit 936.742 d (2.56 a)
Average speed 18.10 km/s
Mean anomaly 307.406°
Angle above the reference plane
Size and other qualities
Measurements 0.5—1.2 km 1
Mass 0.13—1.8×1012 kg
Average density 2.0? g/cm³
Surface gravity 0.0001—0.0003 m/s²
Escape velocity 0.0003—0.0006 km/s
Rotation period ? d
How much light it reflects 0.20—0.04 1
Avg. surface temp. 197—207 K
Spectral type ?
True brightness
("absolute magnitude")

2101 Adonis was one of the first near-Earth asteroids to be found. It was found by Eugene Delporte in 1936 and named after Adonis, the beautiful youth with whom the goddess Venus fell in love. Adonis is thought to measure about 1 km in diameter.

In the close approach that led to the first time it was found, not enough sightings could be made to find out it's orbit, and Adonis was lost until 1977 when it was found once again by Charles T. Kowal.

Adonis was the second Apollo asteroid to be found (after 1862 Apollo itself). It may be a dead comet, and may be the source of some meteor showers. [1]

It comes within 30 Gm of the Earth six times in the 21st century, the nearest being 5.3 Gm in 2036.

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