Binary asteroid

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Categories: Binary asteroids | Asteroid stubs

The term binary asteroid refers to a system in which two asteroids orbit their common center of mass, in analogy with binary stars. The first such system to be discovered was 243 Ida.

Binary asteroids where both bodies are roughly the same size are sometimes called "double asteroids" or "doublet asteroids". The most famous example is the 69230 Hermes system. Another example is the 90 Antiope system. Binary asteroids with a small satellite, called a "moonlet", have been more frequently observed (see 22 Kalliope, 45 Eugenia, 87 Sylvia, 107 Camilla, 121 Hermione, 130 Elektra, 283 Emma, 379 Huenna, etc.).

Paired impact craters, such as the Clearwater Lakes in Canada, are possibly the result of impact by binary asteroids.

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Vulcanoids · Near-Earth asteroids · Main belt · Jupiter Trojans · Centaurs · Damocloids · Neptune Trojans · Comets Trans-Neptunians (Kuiper belt · Scattered disc objects · Oort cloud)
For other objects and regions, see Asteroid groups and families, Binary asteroids, Asteroid moons, meteoroids and the Solar System. For a complete listing, see List of minor planets. See also Pronunciation of asteroid names and Meanings of asteroid names.