History of Cruithne

	Revision 6 . . (edit) December 5, 2001 3:42 am by (logged).128.164.xxx [links]
	Revision 5 . . (edit) December 5, 2001 3:39 am by (logged).128.164.xxx [broke off a section of a paragraph that may eventually move somewhere more appropriate (co-orbital moons and asteroids)]
	Revision 4 . . (edit) December 4, 2001 11:06 pm by (logged).191.188.xxx
	Revision 3 . . October 15, 2001 5:25 am by Css [update external link]
	Revision 2 . . August 27, 2001 9:24 am by Bryan Derksen [Initial article, written based on material from link]

---

Difference (from prior major revision) (minor diff, author diff)

Changed: 1c1

An asteroid (catalogue number 3753) currently in an unusual orbit near Earth. It was officially discovered on October 10, 1986 by D. Waldron, working with R. McNaught?, M. Hartley and M. Hawkins at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, Australia. However, its unusual orbit was not determined until 1997 by Paul Wiegert and Kimmo Innanen, working at York University in Canada, and Seppo Mikkola, working at the University of Turku in Finland. Cruithne is pronounced 'croo-EEN-ya'.

An asteroid (catalogue number 3753) currently in an unusual orbit near Earth. It was officially discovered on October 10, 1986 by D. Waldron, working with R. McNaught, M. Hartley and M. Hawkins at Siding Spring Observatory, Coonabarabran, Australia. However, its unusual orbit was not determined until 1997 by [Paul Wiegert]? and [Kimmo Innanen]?, working at York University in Canada, and [Seppo Mikkola]?, working at the [University of Turku]? in Finland. Cruithne is pronounced 'croo-EEN-ya'.

Changed: 7c7

There is only one other known example of natural bodies in a horseshoe orbit at the time of writing, the moons of Saturn named Janus and Epimetheus. The orbit these two moons follow around Saturn is much simpler than the one Cruithne follows, but operates along the same general principles. Mars has one co-orbital asteroid (its name is 5261 Eureka?), and Jupiter has many (about 400 objects, the Trojan asteroids); there are also other small co-orbital moons in the Saturnian system: Telesto and Calypso with Tethys, and Helene with Dione. However, none of these follow horseshoe orbits.

There is only one other known example of natural bodies in a horseshoe orbit at the time of writing, the moons of Saturn named Janus and Epimetheus. The orbit these two moons follow around Saturn is much simpler than the one Cruithne follows, but operates along the same general principles.

Changed: 9c9

For more detailed information on Cruithne's unusual orbit, see:

Mars has one co-orbital asteroid (its name is 5261 Eureka?), and Jupiter has many (about 400 objects, the Trojan asteroids); there are also other small co-orbital moons in the Saturnian system: Telesto and Calypso with Tethys, and Helene with Dione. However, none of these follow horseshoe orbits.

Changed: 11c11,16

http://aries.phys.yorku.ca/~wiegert/3753.html

/Talk? External links * For more detailed information on Cruithne's unusual orbit, see: ** http://www.astro.queensu.ca/~wiegert/3753/3753.html