3240 Laocoon
Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by |
E. F. Helin S. J. Bus |
Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
Discovery date | 7 November 1978 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | (3240) Laocoon |
Pronunciation |
/leɪˈɒkoʊ.ɒn/ lay-OK-oh-on |
Named after |
Laocoön (Greek mythology)[2] |
1978 VG6 · 1976 SA9 1976 SL2 · 1978 WS12 | |
Jupiter trojan [1][3] Trojan [4] · background [5] | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 41.65 yr (15,212 d) |
Aphelion | 5.8990 AU |
Perihelion | 4.5704 AU |
5.2347 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1269 |
11.98 yr (4,375 d) | |
204.44° | |
0° 4m 56.28s / day | |
Inclination | 2.3352° |
296.28° | |
15.393° | |
Jupiter MOID | 0.3117 AU |
TJupiter | 2.9820 |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | ±0.25 km 51.69[6] |
±0.024 h 11.312[7] | |
±0.014 0.060[6] | |
D (Pan-STARRS)[8][9] D (SDSS-MOC)[10] B–V = ±0.060 0.670[11] V–R = ±0.040 0.430[11] V–I = ±0.046 0.880[8] | |
10.1[6] 10.2[1][3][8] | |
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3240 Laocoon (/leɪˈɒkoʊ.ɒn/ lay-OK-oh-on), provisional designation 1978 VG6, is a carbonaceous Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 51 kilometers (32 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 7 November 1978, by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in California.[1] The D-type asteroid belongs to the 100 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 11.3 hours.[8] It was named after Laocoön from Greek mythology.[2]
Classification and orbit
Laocoon resides in the Trojan camp of Jupiter's L5 Lagrangian point, which lies 60° behind the gas giant's orbit.[4] It is also a non-family asteroid of the Jovian background population.[5]
It orbits the Sun at a distance of 4.6–5.9 AU once every 11 years and 12 months (4,375 days; semi-major axis of 5.23 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] The asteroid was first observed as 1976 SL2 at Crimea–Nauchnij in September 1976, extending the body's observation arc by 2 years prior to its official discovery at Palomar.[1]
Physical characteristics
Laocoon has been characterized as a D-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS' survey and in the SDSS-based taxonomy. It has a V–I color index of 0.88.[8][9][10]
Lightcurve
In April 1996, Laocoon was observed by Italian astronomer Stefano Mottola using the now decommissioned Bochum 0.61-metre Telescope at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Chile. The lightcurve gave a rotation period of ±0.024 hours with a brightness variation of 11.312±0.02 in 0.55magnitude (U=2+).[8][7]
Diameter and albedo
According to the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the Jovian asteroid measures 51.7 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.060,[6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 50.8 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.2.[8]
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Naming
This minor planet was named after the Troyan priest Laocoön from Greek mythology. He and both his sons were killed by serpents sent by the gods because he tried to expose the Greek's deception of the Trojan Horse.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 7 September 1987 (M.P.C. 12210).[12]
See also
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "3240 Laocoon (1978 VG6)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3240) Laocoon. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 269. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3240 Laocoon (1978 VG6)" (2018-05-19 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 "List of Jupiter Trojans". Minor Planet Center. 1 June 2018. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 "Asteroid (3240) Laocoon – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 3 4 Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Masiero, J. R.; Nugent, C. R. (November 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Jovian Trojan Population: Taxonomy". The Astrophysical Journal. 759 (1): 10. arXiv:1209.1549. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759...49G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/759/1/49. Retrieved 17 June 2018. (online catalog)
- 1 2 Mottola, Stefano; Di Martino, Mario; Erikson, Anders; Gonano-Beurer, Maria; Carbognani, Albino; Carsenty, Uri; et al. (May 2011). "Rotational Properties of Jupiter Trojans. I. Light Curves of 80 Objects". The Astronomical Journal. 141 (5): 32. Bibcode:2011AJ....141..170M. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/141/5/170. Retrieved 26 September 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "LCDB Data for (3240) Laocoon". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 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" (PDF). Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 Carvano, J. M.; Hasselmann, P. H.; Lazzaro, D.; Mothé-Diniz, T. (February 2010). "SDSS-based taxonomic classification and orbital distribution of main belt asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 510: 12. Bibcode:2010A&A...510A..43C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913322. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
- 1 2 Chatelain, Joseph P.; Henry, Todd J.; French, Linda M.; Winters, Jennifer G.; Trilling, David E. (June 2016). "Photometric colors of the brightest members of the Jupiter L5 Trojan cloud". Icarus. 271: 158–169. Bibcode:2016Icar..271..158C. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.01.026. Retrieved 13 June 2016.
- ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 June 2018.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- Asteroid 3240 Laocoon at the Small Bodies Data Ferret
- 3240 Laocoon at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 3240 Laocoon at the JPL Small-Body Database