3176 Paolicchi, provisional designation 1980 VR1, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 34 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 13 November 1980, by Serbian astronomer Zoran Knežević at the Konkoly Observatory's Piszkéstető Station northeast of Budapest, Hungary.[8]

3176 Paolicchi
Discovery [1]
Discovered byZ. Knežević
Discovery sitePiszkéstető Stn.
Discovery date13 November 1980
Designations
(3176) Paolicchi
Named after
Paolo Paolicchi (astrophysicist)[2]
1980 VR1 · 1931 UP
1941 WC · 1941 WG1
1951 XF1 · 1956 XD
1965 UD · 1968 HM1
1975 XU · 1978 JG
1978 LQ · A902 WG
main-belt · (outer) [3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc114.53 yr (41,832 days)
Aphelion2.9658 AU
Perihelion2.7854 AU
2.8756 AU
Eccentricity0.0314
4.88 yr (1,781 days)
170.54°
0° 12m 7.56s / day
Inclination18.114°
53.209°
25.596°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions31.84±0.68 km[4]
33.83 km (derived)[3]
33.94±2.8 km (IRAS 15)[1]
41.33±0.36 km[5]
20.4±0.5 h[6]
0.038±0.007[5]
0.0511 (derived)[3]
0.0669±0.012 (IRAS 15)[1]
0.081±0.004[4]
C[3]
10.90[4] · 11.10[5] · 11.2[1][3] · 11.47±0.24[7]

Orbit and classification

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The dark C-type asteroid orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.8–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 11 months (1,781 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.03 and an inclination of 18° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] First identified as A902 WG at Heidelberg Observatory in 1902, the first used observation was made at the U.S. Lowell Observatory in 1931, when Paolicchi was identified as 1931 UP, extending its observation arc by 49 years prior to its official discovery observation.[8]

Physical characteristics

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It has a rotation period of 20.400 hours[6] and an albedo in the range of 0.04–0.08, according to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission.[4][5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.05.[3] Estimated diameters for Paolicchi range between 31.8 and 41.3 kilometers.[1][3][4][5]

Naming

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This minor planet was named in honor of Italian astrophysicist Paolo Paolicchi (b. 1950) at the University of Pisa, whose research activity included the study on the dynamical and collisional history of Small Solar System bodies and the origin of planetary and stellar systems. Paolicchi's work on minor planets has focused on the modeling of catastrophic breakup events and on the evolution of their rotational properties.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 7 September 1987 (M.P.C. 12209).[9]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3176 Paolicchi (1980 VR1)" (2017-06-02 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3176) Paolicchi". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3176) Paolicchi. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 263. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3177. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (3176) Paolicchi". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d e Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  5. ^ a b c d e 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 6 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (3176) Paolicchi". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  7. ^ 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 6 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b "3176 Paolicchi (1980 VR1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
  9. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 6 December 2016.
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