4954 Eric ( ''prov. designation'': ) is an eccentric, stony

asteroid An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere. ...

, classified as

near-Earth object A near-Earth object (NEO) is any small Solar System body whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth. By convention, a Solar System body is a NEO if its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) is less than 1.3 astronomical units (AU). ...

of the

Amor group Amor Group was Scotland's largest independent business technology company before being acquired by Lockheed Martin in September 2013. The business was formed after a £28 million management buyout of Glasgow based Real Time Engineering Ltd. an ...

, approximately in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Brian Roman at

Palomar Observatory Palomar Observatory is an astronomical research observatory in San Diego County, California, United States, in the Palomar Mountain Range. It is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology (Caltech). Research time at the observat ...

on 23 September 1990. The asteroid was named after its discoverer's son, Eric Roman. Eric June 18 2013

It is the largest

near-Earth asteroid A near-Earth object (NEO) is any small Solar System body whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth. By convention, a Solar System body is a NEO if its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) is less than 1.3 astronomical units (AU). ...

discovered since

3552 Don Quixote 3552 Don Quixote, provisionally designated , is an exceptionally eccentric asteroid, classified as a near-Earth object of the Amor group, Mars-crosser and Jupiter-crosser, as well as a centaur and extinct comet. Discovery and naming The ...

in 1983. On 2007 October 11 the asteroid passed from Earth. It currently makes closer approaches to Mars than it does Earth. The asteroid has a rotation period of 12.05 hours. Other large near-Earth asteroids include

1036 Ganymed 1036 Ganymed, provisional designation ', is a stony asteroid on a highly eccentric orbit, classified as a near-Earth object of the Amor group. It was discovered by German astronomer Walter Baade at the Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg on 23 Oct ...

(32 km), 3552 Don Quixote (19 km),

433 Eros Eros (minor planet designation: (433) Eros), provisional designation is a stony asteroid of the Amor group and the first discovered and second-largest near-Earth object with an elongated shape and a mean diameter of approximately . Visi ...

(17 km), and

1866 Sisyphus 1866 Sisyphus is a binary stony asteroid, near-Earth object and the largest member of the Apollo group, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 December 1972, by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near B ...

(8.5 km).

References

External links

* * Amor asteroids

Eric The given name Eric, Erich, Erikk, Erik, Erick, or Eirik is derived from the Old Norse name ''Eiríkr'' (or ''Eríkr'' in Old East Norse due to monophthongization). The first element, ''ei-'' may be derived from the older Proto-Norse ''* ain ...

S-type asteroids (SMASS) 19900923 {{NE-asteroid-stub