1779 Paraná
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. Itzigsohn |
| Discovery site | La Plata Observatory |
| Discovery date | 15 June 1950 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 1779 Paraná |
Named after | Paraná River[2] |
|
1950 LZ · 1976 SF8 6116 P-L | |
| main-belt | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 65.66 yr (23,984 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.5264 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.8238 AU |
| 2.1751 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1614 |
| 3.21 yr (1,172 days) | |
| 159.57° | |
| Inclination | 0.8983° |
| 254.50° | |
| 11.575° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 4 km (calculated at 0.25)[3] |
| 14.1[1] | |
|
| |
1779 Paraná, provisional designation 1950 LZ, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, roughly 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 June 1950 by Argentine astronomer Miguel Itzigsohn at the La Plata Astronomical Observatory in La Plata, capital of the province of Buenos Aires.[4]
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.5 AU once every 3.21 years (1,172 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16, and an inclination of 1°, nearly coplaner with respect to the plane of the ecliptic. Little is known about the asteroid's exact size, composition, albedo and rotation. It has a well-observed orbit with the lowest possible uncertainty, indicated by an uncertainty parameter of 0, and an observation arc that spans over a period of more than 65 years.[1]
Based on its absolute magnitude of 14.1, its diameter can be inferred to lie between 4 and 9 kilometers, assuming an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[3] Since asteroids in the inner main-belt are often of a silicaceous rather than of a carbonaceous composition, with relatively high albedos, typically around 0.20, the asteroid's diameter might be on the lower end of NASA's published conversion table, as the lower its reflectivity (albedo), the larger the body's diameter for a given absolute magnitude.[3]
The asteroid was named for a large and 4,880-kilometers long Paraná River that runs through northern Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. It is a major tributary to the La Plata river, where the city of La Plata and the discovering observatory are located (also see 1029 La Plata).[2]
The body has also been cataloged by the Palomar–Leiden survey and received the survey designation 6116 P-L (PLS6116).[1][4]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1779 Parana (1950 LZ)" (2016-02-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1779) Paraná. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 142. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 22 March 2016.
- 1 2 "1779 Parana (1950 LZ)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 22 March 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
- 1779 Paraná at the JPL Small-Body Database
