Have we found "Vulcan"?

Pallas-trine-Mars

Well-known member
Planetoid 3200 Phaeton has an amazing orbit coming really, really close to the Sun. The thing seems to connect all of the terrestrial planets out to the asteroid belt.

It's considered the source of the Geminid meteor showers is named after a son of Apollo who rode his chariot (and accidentally nearly burnt the world to a crisp! lol) Fitting I think.

28bcux4.png


It goes "beneath" the orbits of Mercury and Venus but "above" those of Earth and Mars. It is the brightest asteroid of all and seems unique among other orbit-crossing asteroids to me.

Maybe it's the, or an, intra-Mercurial "Vulcanoid" we've been seeking? (could it have potential as ruler of Taurus I wonder)
 
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