4756 Asaramas, provisional designation 1950 HJ, is a stony rare-type Eoan asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 April 1950, by astronomers at the La Plata Astronomical Observatory in Argentina.[7] It is named for the astronomical society Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía.[2]

4756 Asaramas
Discovery [1]
Discovered byLa Plata Obs.
Discovery siteLa Plata Obs.
Discovery date21 April 1950
Designations
(4756) Asaramas
Named after
Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía
(astronomical association)[2]
1950 HJ · 1976 FD
1983 RH9
main-belt · Eos[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc66.94 yr (24,449 days)
Aphelion3.2128 AU
Perihelion2.8233 AU
3.0180 AU
Eccentricity0.0645
5.24 yr (1,915 days)
262.30°
0° 11m 16.8s / day
Inclination9.2037°
239.42°
2.4305°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions10.78 km (calculated)[3]
11.644±0.215 km[4]
16.536±0.0087 h[5]
0.14 (assumed)[3]
0.188±0.025[4]
L[6] · S[3]
11.78±0.06[6] · 12.10[4] · 12.140±0.002 (R)[5] · 12.2[1] · 12.59[3]

Classification and orbit edit

Asaramas is a member of the Eos family (606), the largest asteroid family in the outer main belt consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.2 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,915 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

As no precoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made, the body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at La Plata.[7]

Physical characteristics edit

Asaramas has been characterized as a L-type asteroid by PanSTARRS' photometric survey.[6]

Rotation period edit

In November 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Asaramas was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a typical rotation period of 16.536 hours with a brightness variation of 0.16 magnitude (U=2).[5]

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Asaramas measures 11.64 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.188,[4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for Eoan asteroids of 0.14 and calculates a diameter of 10.78 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 12.59.[3]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named in honor of the Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía (A.A.A.A or Asaramas), an astronomical society for amateur astronomers in Argentina. Founded on 4 January 1929, the A.A.A.A. was the first contact with astronomy for a large number of professional astronomers at the La Plata Observatory.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 September 1993 (M.P.C. 22503).[8]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4756 Asaramas (1950 HJ)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 8 March 2017. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(4756) Asaramas". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4756) Asaramas. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 409. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4663. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (4756) Asaramas". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  6. ^ a b c Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  7. ^ a b "4756 Asaramas (1950 HJ)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 7 March 2017.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 7 March 2017.

External links edit