A-team asteroid discovery plots

Data covers 1996 to Sept 2005. Only objects that still have an A-team primary designation and a well characterized orbit are included.

• Absolute magnitude versus discovery number
  The bigger ones (absolute magnitude of less than 15) are getting rarer. On the other hand, recently we have been getting good orbits for more intrinsically dim objects (absolute magnitude of greater than 18). (The professional surveys are fishing out the bright end, but they are giving us more free followup on the dim end in return.) The bright (low magnitude) standout is the Hilda 2000 PO8, followed by the Trojan 2004 GY14 in second place.
• Perihelion distance versus discovery number
  The 5 standouts on the low end are 2002 BP, 2003 HL15, 2004 RX, 2004 XT30, and 2005 NE1. 2002 BP and 2005 NE1 both can come very close to Mars. The other three do not come anywhere near Mars. The extreme standout on the high end is 2004 GY14, a Trojan. (Trojans share their orbit with Jupiter).
• Semi-major axis versus discovery number
  The three objects at a=4 are Hildas (2000 PO8, 2004 KK7, 2004 PF19). These are in a 3:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter. The object all by itself at a=3.5 is 1999 BC3. On the low end, the 4 standouts with mean distances less than 2 AU are 2001 VM2 (a Hungaria), 2002 BP (a Mars crosser), 2004 RX, and 2004 RK109. (2004 OX10 just misses being in that category.)
• Orbital eccentricity versus discovery number
  Standouts are 2003 HL15, 2004 XT30, and 2005 NE1. Note that new objects in extremely circular orbits (e near zero) are getting rare!
• Orbital tilt versus discovery number
  We seem to be discovering more objects in tilted orbits with time.