1918 Aiguillon

1918 Aiguillon provisional designation 1968 UA, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter.

1918 Aiguillon
Discovery[1]
Discovered byG. Soulié
Discovery siteBordeaux Obs.
Discovery date19 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 arc62.93 yr (22,985 days)
Aphelion3.6118 AU
Perihelion2.7755 AU
3.1936 AU
Eccentricity0.1309
5.71 yr (2,085 days)
145.64°
Inclination9.1961°
195.12°
245.30°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions19.536±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

    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

    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

    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
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)" (2017-05-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
    2. 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.
    3. 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.
    4. "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 2 January 2016.
    5. "1918 Aiguillon (1968 UA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
    6. "LCDB Data for (1918) Aiguillon". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 11 April 2017.
    7. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 December 2016.

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