18880 Toddblumberg

18880 Toddblumberg, provisional designation 1999 XM166, is a background asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 10 December 1999, by LINEAR at the Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site, near Socorro, New Mexico, United States.[4] The asteroid was named after Todd Blumberg, a 2003 ISEF contest awardee.[2]

18880 Toddblumberg
Discovery [1]
Discovered byLINEAR
Discovery siteLincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date10 December 1999
Designations
(18880) Toddblumberg
Named after
Todd James Blumberg
(2003 ISEF awardee)[2]
1999 XM166 · 1976 UC20
main-belt (outer)[1]
background
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc63.35 yr (23,140 days)
Aphelion3.7961 AU
Perihelion2.6135 AU
3.2048 AU
Eccentricity0.1845
5.74 yr (2,096 days)
45.170°
0° 10m 18.48s / day
Inclination9.6539°
19.849°
29.542°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions4.283±0.438 km[3]
0.265±0.082[3]
14.1[1]

    Orbit and classification

    Toddblumberg orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.8 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,096 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory (DSS) in 1953, extending the body's observation arc by 46 years prior to its official discovery observation at Socorro.[4]

    Although discovered by LINEAR, Toddblumberg is not a near-Earth asteroid. Its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) is about double the maximum distance of 1.3 AU that qualifies an asteroid as "near-Earth".[5]

    Physical characteristics

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Toddblumberg measures 4.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.265.[3]

    Lightcurve

    As of 2017, Toddblumberg's spectral type and rotation period remain unknown.[1][6]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named for Todd James Blumberg (born 1984), a student at the Plano Senior High School in Plano, Texas, who won the Intel International Science and Engineering Fair (ISEF) award for his microbiology project in 2003.[2][7]

    Since 2001, hundreds of secondary school students who have won awards at science fairs have had asteroids named after them.[8][9] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 August 2004 (M.P.C. 52648).[10]

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 18880 Toddblumberg (1999 XM166)" (2017-03-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 June 2017.
    2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(18880) Toddblumberg [3.20, 0.19, 9.6]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (18880) Toddblumberg, Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 129. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_1427. ISBN 978-3-540-34361-5.
    3. 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 8 September 2016.
    4. "18880 Toddblumberg (1999 XM166)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    5. "NEO Groups". NASA/JPL Near-Earth Object Program Office. Retrieved 4 June 2012.
    6. "LCDB Data for (18880) Toddblumberg". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 26 June 2017.
    7. "2003 Cleveland Intel ISEF Grand Award Winners". Society for Science and the Public. Archived from the original on 4 November 2016. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    8. "Asteroid inspires winning science project". Lincoln Laboratory, MIT. Archived from the original on 21 January 2012. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    9. "2003 Award Honorees". Lincoln Laboratory, MIT. Archived from the original on 22 February 2014. Retrieved 2 November 2016.
    10. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 2 November 2016.

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