1918 Aiguillon provisional designation 1968 UA, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter.
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Soulié |
| Discovery site | Bordeaux Obs. |
| Discovery date | 19 October 1968 |
| Designations | |
| (1918) Aiguillon | |
Named after | Aiguillon (French town)[2] |
| 1968 UA | |
| main-belt · (outer) | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 62.93 yr (22,985 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.6118 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7755 AU |
| 3.1936 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1309 |
| 5.71 yr (2,085 days) | |
| 145.64° | |
| Inclination | 9.1961° |
| 195.12° | |
| 245.30° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 19.536±0.090 km[3] 20±8 km (generic)[4] |
| 0.062±0.012[3] | |
| 11.7[1] | |
It was discovered by French astronomer Guy Soulié at Bordeaux Observatory, France, on 19 October 1968.[5] The asteroid was named for the French town of Aiguillon.[2]
Orbit and classification edit
Aiguillon orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.8–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,085 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first observation was a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in 1954, extending the body's observation arc by 14 years prior to its official discovery observation.[5]
Physical characteristics edit
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Aiguillon measures 19.5 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.062.[3]
Based on a generic magnitude-diameter conversion, the body measures between 12 and 28 kilometers, for an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25 and an absolute magnitude of 11.7.[4] As of 2017, Aiguillon's composition, rotation period and shape remain unknown.[6]
Naming edit
This minor planet was named for the discoverer's birthplace, Aiguillon, a small town on the Garonne river in France.[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 December 1979 (M.P.C. 5038).[7]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)" (2017-05-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1918) Aiguillon". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1918) Aiguillon. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 154. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1919. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ a b "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
- ^ a b "1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
- ^ "LCDB Data for (1918) Aiguillon". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 11 April 2017.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
External links edit
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 21 July 2011 at the Wayback Machine)
- 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 AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 1918 Aiguillon at the JPL Small-Body Database
