1991 Darwin

1991 Darwin
Discovery [1]
Discovered by C. U. Cesco, A. R. Klemola
Discovery site El Leoncito
(Yale–Columbia Southern Station) Félix Aguilar Obs.
Discovery date 6 May 1967
Designations
MPC designation 1991 Darwin
Named after
 Charles Darwin
George Darwin[2]
1967 JL · 1954 UG
1971 SU2
main-belt · Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 61.41 yr (22430 days)
Aphelion 2.7160 AU (406.31 Gm)
Perihelion 1.7803 AU (266.33 Gm)
2.2482 AU (336.33 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.20812
3.37 yr (1231.2 d)
103.10°
0° 17m 32.604s / day
Inclination 5.9196°
328.48°
345.57°
Earth MOID 0.765303 AU (114.4877 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 2.56385 AU (383.547 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter 3.593
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 4.989±0.371 km[4]
5.024 km[5]
5.02 km (taken)[3]
4.7 h (0.20 d)[1][6]
0.2577±0.0777[4]
0.2541[5]
S [3]
13.4[1]

    1991 Darwin, provisional designation 1967 JL, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 May 1967, by Argentine astronomers Carlos Cesco and Arnold Klemola at the El Leoncito, Yale–Columbia Southern Station, Félix Aguilar Observatory in Argentina.[7]

    The S-type asteroid is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,231 days). Its orbit is tilted by 6 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic and shows an eccentricity of 0.21. It has a rotation period of 4.7 hours[6] and an albedo of about 0.25, according to observations made by the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.[4][5]

    The asteroid is named in memory of English naturalist Charles Darwin (1809–1882), the first to establish the theory of biological evolution. While on research in Argentina, he crossed the Andes relatively near to the Leoncito Astronomical Complex where the minor planet was discovered. The asteroid also honors George Darwin (1845–1912), his second son who was a noted astronomer for his pioneering application of detailed dynamical analyses to problems of cosmogony and geology. The Darwins are also honored by the lunar and Martian craters Darwin.[2]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1991 Darwin (1967 JL)" (2015-11-19 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1991) Darwin. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 161. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 24 October 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 "LCDB Data for (1991) Darwin". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 17 December 2015.
    4. 1 2 3 Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407Freely accessible. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
    5. 1 2 3 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. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
    6. 1 2 Wisniewski, 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. Bibcode:1995LPI....26.1511W. Retrieved 17 December 2015.
    7. ↑ "1991 Darwin (1967 JL)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 24 October 2015.

    External links


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