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1772 Gagarin

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1772 Gagarin
Shape model of Gagarin from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byL. Chernykh
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date6 February 1968
Designations
(1772) Gagarin
Named after
Yuri Gagarin (cosmonaut)[2]
1968 CB · 1940 GA
1942 VZ · 1948 ET
1960 FH · 1969 OO
main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc76.21 yr (27,835 days)
Aphelion2.7924 AU
Perihelion2.2610 AU
2.5267 AU
Eccentricity0.1051
4.02 yr (1,467 days)
90.345°
0° 14m 43.44s / day
Inclination5.7423°
88.181°
93.442°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions8.00 km (derived)[3]
8.838±0.644[4]
9.634±0.105 km[5]
10.93791±0.00005 h[6]
10.94130±0.00005 h[7]
10.9430±0.0049 h[8]
10.96 h[9]
0.1380±0.0085[5]
0.164±0.039[4]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
L[10] · S[3]
B–V = 0.920[1]
12.626±0.002 (R)[8] · 12.7[1] · 12.80±0.45[10] · 12.85[3][9][5]

1772 Gagarin (prov. designation: 1968 CB) is a stony background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 February 1968, by Russian astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, on the Crimean Peninsula.[11] The asteroid was named after cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin.[2]

Orbit and classification

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Gagarin orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3–2.8 AU once every 4.02 years (1,467 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Gagarin first observation is a precovery that was taken at Turku Observatory in 1940, extending the body's observation arc by 28 years prior to its official discovery observation.[11]

Physical characteristics

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Gagarin has been characterized as a rare L-type asteroid by PanSTARRS' photometric survey.[10]

Rotation period

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In February 1984, a rotational lightcurve of Gagarin obtained by American astronomer Richard P. Binzel gave a rotation period of 10.96 hours with a brightness variation of 0.24 magnitude (U=2).[9] Photometric observations at the Californian Palomar Transient Factory in December 2011, gave a 10.9430 hours with an amplitude of 0.41 (U=2).[8] in 2001 and 2016, additional lightcurve were obtained from modeled photometric data, giving a period of 10.94130 and 10.93791 hours (U=n.a.).[6][7]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Gagarin measures between 8.83 and 9.63 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.138 and 0.164,[4][5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo of 0.20 and derives a diameter of 8.00 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.85.[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named for Russian–Soviet cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin (1934–1968), Hero of the Soviet Union and first human to journey into outer space by circumnavigating Earth in 1961. Gagarin died in a jet fighter crash in 1968, the year the asteroid was discovered. The lunar crater Gagarin is also named in his honor.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 25 September 1971 (M.P.C. 3185).[12]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1772 Gagarin (1968 CB)" (2016-06-16 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1772) Gagarin". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1772) Gagarin. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 142. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1773. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1772) Gagarin". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d 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:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90.
  6. ^ a b Hanus, J.; Durech, J.; Oszkiewicz, D. A.; Behrend, R.; Carry, B.; Delbo, M.; et al. (February 2016). "New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 586: 24. arXiv:1510.07422. Bibcode:2016A&A...586A.108H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527441. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  7. ^ a b Hanus, J.; Durech, J.; Broz, M.; Warner, B. D.; Pilcher, F.; Stephens, R.; et al. (June 2011). "A study of asteroid pole-latitude distribution based on an extended set of shape models derived by the lightcurve inversion method". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 530: 16. arXiv:1104.4114. Bibcode:2011A&A...530A.134H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201116738. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  8. ^ 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 20 December 2016.
  9. ^ a b c Binzel, R. P. (October 1987). "A photoelectric survey of 130 asteroids". Icarus. 72 (1): 135–208. Bibcode:1987Icar...72..135B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(87)90125-4. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  10. ^ 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 20 December 2016.
  11. ^ a b "1772 Gagarin (1968 CB)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 December 2016.
  12. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.
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