Asteroids whose orbits are not known accurately enough to find them again
More than 700,000 minor planets have been observed, many of which must be considered lost due to insufficient observational data.[1][2]
A minor planet is "lost" when today's observers cannot find it, because its location is too uncertain to target observations. This happens if the orbital elements of a minor planet are not known accurately enough, typically because the observation arc for the object is too short, or too few observations were made before the object became unobservable (e.g. too faint due to increasing distance, or too close to the Sun to view at night).
By some definitions thousands, if not tens of thousands, of mostly small observed minor planets are lost.[2] Some lost minor planets discovered in decades past cannot be found because the available observational data is insufficient for reliable orbit determination. With limited information astronomers cannot know where to look for the object at future dates.
Lost objects are sometimes recovered when serendipitously re-observed by a later astronomical survey. If the orbital elements of the newly found object are sufficiently close to those of the earlier lost object, the two may be equated. This can be established by calculating backwards the "new" object's orbit (once it is firmly known) and checking past positions against those previously recorded for the lost object. This usually greatly extends the object's arc length, thus fixing the orbit much more precisely. The back-orbit calculations are especially tricky for lost comets because their orbits can be affected by non-gravitational forces, such as emission of jets of gas from the comet nucleus. Many previously lost asteroids (a type of minor planet) were rediscovered in the 1980s and 1990s, but many minor planets are still lost.[3]
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^Lost asteroid. (2009). In Encyclopædia Britannica. Retrieved 27 February 2009, from Encyclopædia Britannica Online: http://www.britannica.com/topic/lost-asteroid
A minorplanet is "lost" when today's observers cannot find it, because its location is too uncertain to target observations. This happens if the orbital...
following is a list of numbered minorplanets in ascending numerical order. With the exception of comets, minorplanets are all small bodies in the Solar...
Union (IAU), a minorplanet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before...
also includes lostminorplanets which have not been observed for many years, or even decades. As of August 2023[update], the MinorPlanet Center (MPC)...
of which was in turn rendered obsolete by the increasing numbers of minorplanet discoveries. A modern or new-style provisional designation consists of...
imaging of a body which was lost to our view (as behind the Sun), but is now visible again (also see lostminorplanet and lost comet). Orbit determination...
for 2024 is −3.27 and 10^3.27 = 1862. "MPEC 2007-F60: 2007 FT3". IAU MinorPlanet Center. 21 March 2007. Retrieved 15 August 2019. (K07F03T) "NEODyS-2...
estimated to be 660 meters (2,200 feet) in diameter. The unnumbered minorplanet has a poorly constrained orbit and has not been observed in 44 years...
Makemake (minor-planet designation: 136472 Makemake) is a dwarf planet and the second-largest of what is known as the classical population of Kuiper belt...
original on 28 November 2020. Retrieved 28 April 2017. "2004 FU162". MinorPlanet Center. Retrieved 28 April 2017. "Closest by far". hohmanntransfer. 22...
minorplanets, the Koronis asteroid 452 Hamiltonia in 1899, and the Mars-crosser asteroid (20958) A900 MA in 1900, which became a lostminorplanet until...
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