Discoverer

R.H. McNaught - 1996

Diameter (km)

0.37 - 0.84

Mass (kg)

?

Rotation period (hrs)

?

Orbital period (yrs)

2.41825

Semimajor axis (AU)

1.80155

Orbital eccentricity

0.66004

Orbital Inclination (deg)

5.27959

Albedo

?

Type

?

Asteroid 1996 JG was discovered on May 8, 1996, by Rob McNaught at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia. It approached to within 0.0196 AU (2.9 million km, 8 times the distance to the Moon) on May 24.

The first radar echoes from 1996 JG were detected on May 26 at Goldstone using a two-antenna system - transmitting from the 70-m antenna (DSS-14) and receiving at one of the 34-m antennas (DSS-13).

Delay-resolved images show a spheroidal object with an illuminated extent of about 300 meters. 1996 JG's diameter could easily be a factor of two larger. The echo bandwidth suggests that 1996 JG probably is rotating several times a day.

Images of 1996 JG

This image was obtained on May 28^th 1996.

The Earth is toward the top of the page and the asteroid is rotating counter-clockwise.

This image was obtained on May 29^th 1996.