1918 Aiguillon
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Soulié |
| Discovery site | Bordeaux Obs. |
| Discovery date | 19 October 1968 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 1918 Aiguillon |
Named after |
Aiguillon (French town)[2] |
| 1968 UA | |
| main-belt | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 61.46 yr (22,449 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.5996 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7847 AU |
| 3.1921 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1276 |
| 5.70 yr (2,083 days) | |
| 8.0766° | |
| Inclination | 9.1831° |
| 195.16° | |
| 244.99° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 20±8 km (calculated)[3] |
| 11.7[1] | |
|
| |
1918 Aiguillon provisional designation 1968 UA, is an asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, roughly 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by French astronomer Guy Soulié at Bordeaux Observatory, France, on 19 October 1968.[4]
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 8 months (2,083 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.13 and is tilted by 9 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic.[1]
Little is known about the asteroids effective size, composition, albedo and rotation, despite having a well-observed orbit with the lowest possible uncertainty (i.e. a condition code of 0) and an observation arc that spans over a period of more than 60 years.[1] Based on its absolute magnitude of 11.7, its diameter could be anywhere between 12 and 28 kilometers, assuming an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25. Since the surface of most asteroids in the outer main-belt are of a carbonaceous rather than of a silicaceous composition, with low albedos, typically around 0.05, the asteroid's diameter might be on the upper end of NASA's published conversion table, as the lower the reflectivity (albedo), the larger the body's diameter for a given brightness (absolute magnitude).[3]
It is named for the discoverer’s birthplace, Aiguillon, a small town on the Garonne river in France.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)" (2015-11-16 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1918) Aiguillon. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 154. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 14 October 2015.
- 1 2 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ↑ "1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 1918 Aiguillon at the JPL Small-Body Database
