3552 Don Quixote

3552 Don Quixote
Discovery
Don Quixote (apmag 15) near perihelion taken in Pingelly, Australia, 2009
Discovered by	P. Wild
Discovery site	Zimmerwald Obs.
Discovery date	26 September 1983
Designations
MPC designation	(3552) Don Quixote
Named after	Don Quixote fictional character
Alternative designations	1983 SA
Minor planet category	NEO · Amor Mars-crosser Jupiter-crosser Centaur
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	33.71 yr (12,312 days)
Aphelion	7.2783 AU
Perihelion	1.2399 AU
Semi-major axis	4.2591 AU
Eccentricity	0.7089
Orbital period (sidereal)	8.79 yr (3,211 days)
Mean anomaly	332.47°
Mean motion	0° 6^m 43.56^s / day
Inclination	31.092°
Longitude of ascending node	350.03°
Argument of perihelion	316.42°
Earth MOID	0.3338 AU
Jupiter MOID	0.4397 AU
T_Jupiter	2.3150
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	18.4±0.4 km
Synodic rotation period	7.7 h (0.32 d)
Geometric albedo	0.03
Spectral type	D (Tholen) · D (SMASS)
Apparent magnitude	11.67 (1957) to 22.32
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.9

3552 Don Quixote, provisionally designated 1983 SA, is an exceptionally eccentric asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Amor group, Mars-crosser and Jupiter-crosser, as well as a weakly active comet.