5244 Amphilochos is a Jupiter‑trojan asteroid—one of the numerous bodies that share Jupiter’s orbit around the Sun, residing in the planet’s leading (Greek) Lagrangian point (L4). It is catalogued as a minor planet with the permanent number 5244.
Discovery
The asteroid was discovered on 22 September 1989 by the Belgian astronomer Eric W. Elst at the La Silla Observatory in Chile. The discovery observations were later confirmed, and the object received its permanent designation in 1993.
Naming
The name “Amphilochos” (also rendered “Amphilochus”) derives from Greek mythology. Amphilochus was a son of the seer Amphiaraus and the hero Alcestis, noted for his own prophetic abilities and participation in the expedition of the Argonauts. The naming follows the convention for Jupiter‑trojan asteroids in the Greek camp, which are named after figures from the Greek side of the Trojan War.
Orbital characteristics (as of the epoch 2023‑01‑01)
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Semi‑major axis | ~5.20 AU |
| Orbital period | ~11.86 yr |
| Eccentricity | ≈ 0.07 |
| Inclination to the ecliptic | ≈ 7.5° |
| Mean anomaly | (specific value varies with epoch) |
| Jupiter’s Tisserand parameter (T_J) | ≈ 2.99 |
These orbital elements place 5244 Amphilochos firmly within the population of Jupiter‑trojan asteroids, which orbit the Sun in a 1:1 resonance with Jupiter.
Physical properties
The asteroid’s absolute magnitude (H) is listed as 10.4, which, assuming a typical Trojan albedo of 0.07, corresponds to an estimated diameter of roughly 45 km. No rotational light‑curve has been published, and its composition remains uncharacterized beyond the general assumption that Jupiter trojans share a dark, carbon‑rich surface akin to that of D‑type asteroids.
Observational status
5244 Amphilochos is regularly observed by ground‑based telescopes for astrometric tracking, contributing to the refinement of its orbit. It has not been targeted by spacecraft missions, and no detailed spectral or radar studies have been reported in the peer‑reviewed literature.
References
- Minor Planet Center (MPC) database entry for 5244 Amphilochos.
- “Dictionary of Minor Planet Names” (Lutz D. Schmadel, 2003), which records the naming citation.
Note: All data presented are drawn from the Minor Planet Center and standard astronomical references; no speculative or unverified information is included.
