2980 Cameron

2980 Cameron
Discovery [1]
Discovered by S. J. Bus
Discovery site Siding Spring Obs.
Discovery date 2 March 1981
Designations
MPC designation (2980) Cameron
Named after
 Alastair Cameron [2]
1981 EU17 · 1977 EL3
1979 SQ7
main-belt
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 39.87 yr (14,564 days)
Aphelion 3.0324 AU
Perihelion 2.1023 AU
2.5673 AU
Eccentricity 0.1811
4.11 yr (1,503 days)
36.213°
0° 14m 22.56s / day
Inclination 7.2772°
172.24°
254.25°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 5.121±0.183[3]
0.322±0.047[3]
13.4[1]

    2980 Cameron, provisionally designated 1981 EU17, is a main-belt asteroid discovered by prolific American astronomer Schelte Bus at Siding Spring Observatory, Australia, on March 2, 1981. It orbits the Sun every 4.11 years at a distance of 2.1–3.0 AU.[1]

    The asteroid was named after astrophysicist and cosmogonist Alastair G. W. Cameron (1925–2005), who was associate director for theoretical astrophysics at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. He was an early advocate of the concepts of a turbulent accretion disk solar nebula, and of the origin of the Moon by a giant impact on the proto-Earth. He also studied the nucleosynthesis in stars and supernovae, and the cosmic abundances of nuclides.[2]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2980 Cameron (1981 EU17)" (2017-01-28 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2980) Cameron. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 245. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 17 October 2015.
    3. 1 2 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 15 June 2017.
    This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.