It was discovered on 6 March 1973 by American astronomer Charles KowalatPalomar Observatory in San Diego County, California.[4] It was named after King Midas from Greek mythology.[3]
Midas has a low minimum orbit intersection distance with Earth of 0.0036 AU (540,000 km; 330,000 mi), which corresponds to 1.5 lunar distance (Earth–Moon distance). However, it does not pose an impact risk for the foreseeable future. On 19 March 1947 it passed 0.0298 AU (4,460,000 km; 2,770,000 mi) from Earth.[12] The last notable close approach was on 21 March 2018 passing 0.08957 AU (13,399,000 km; 8,326,000 mi) from Earth[12] and shining at an apparent magnitude of +12.4.[13] The next notable close approach will be on 14 September 2032 passing slightly closer at 0.08635 AU (12,918,000 km; 8,027,000 mi) from Earth.[12] As no precoveries are known, the asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovery observation at Palomar in 1973.[4]
With a semi-major axis of 1.78 AU, when 1 AU from the Sun (and passing Earth's orbit) the asteroid is moving at 35.7 km/s with respect to the Sun.[a] For comparison Earth orbits the Sun at 30 km/s.
Three rotational lightcurves obtained from photometric observations gave a concurring rotation period of 5.24 hours with a relatively high brightness variation of 0.65, 0.8 and 0.87 in magnitude, respectively (U=3/2/3).[8][7][9]
According to the survey carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, Midas measures 1.95 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.293,[5] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.266 and calculates an identical diameter of 1.95 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 15.6.[6]
This minor planet was named after the figure from Greek mythology, Midas, the King of Phrygia, who turned whatever he touched to gold. He received this ability as an award, but soon realized that this gift was a curse when his daughter turned into a statue after he had touched her. Relieved of his power by bathing in the river Pactolus, other accounts also tell his death caused by starvation.[3] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4237).[15]
^v = 42.1219 √1/r − 0.5/a, where r is the distance from the Sun, and a is the major semi-axis. Objects move fastest at perihelion and slowest at aphelion.
^ abcdUsui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
^ abcMottola, S.; de Angelis, G.; di Martino, M.; Erikson, A.; Harris, A. W.; Hahn, G.; Neukum, G.; Pravec, P.; Wolf, M. (March 1995). "The EUNEASO Photometric Follow-up Program". Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 26: 1003. Bibcode:1995LPI....26.1003M.
^ abTorppa, J.; Aksnes, K.; Dai, Z.; Grav, T.; Hahn, G.; Laakso, T.; Lagerkvist, C.-I.; Muinonen, K.; et al. (August 2005). "Spins and Shapes of Potentially Hazardous Asteroids". American Astronomical Society. 37: 643. Bibcode:2005DPS....37.1526T.
^ abWisniewski, W. Z.; Michalowski, T. M.; Harris, A. W.; McMillan, R. S. (March 1995). "Photoelectric Observations of 125 Asteroids". Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 26: 1511. Bibcode:1995LPI....26.1511W.
^Pravec, Petr; Harris, Alan W.; Kusnirák, Peter; Galád, Adrián; Hornoch, Kamil (September 2012). "Absolute magnitudes of asteroids and a revision of asteroid albedo estimates from WISE thermal observations". Icarus. 221 (1): 365–387. Bibcode:2012Icar..221..365P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.026.
^Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 – Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007.
