100000 Astronautica
Published on Oct 10, 2007 at 1:01 am.
1 Comment.
Filed under asteroids.
The asteroid 1982 SH1 has a new name. It is 100000 Astronautica. Discovered in 1982 by Jim Gibson of the Palomar Observatory, 1982 SH1 also has the designation 2002 CW115. Taking 2.63 years to orbit the Sun at about a distance of 1.9 AU from the Sun, Astronautica is a Main Belt asteroid. Like many of the main belt asteroids, it has a rather inclined orbit, as you can see from the diagram. Astronautica’s orbit is inclined about 21 degrees with respect to the ecliptic. Astronautica’s orbit is a bit more eccentric than Earth’s, but about normal for an asteroid, with an eccentricity of 0.087.
Asteroids are generally named by the discoverer. However, many prolific asteroid discoverers don’t bother to name every asteroid that they find. Less than ten percent of the numbered asteroids have names. This was one of those. Occasionally, the IAU committee that oversees names goes ahead and suggests a name itself. This is one of those asteroids that the committee named. It was named Astronautica to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the launch of Sputnik. This particular asteroid got the honor because it is the 100000th asteroid to be numbered. The edge of space is currently defined (as for records) as being an altitude of 100 kilometers, or 100000 meters. So, asteroid 100000 was picked for this honor. It isn’t a particularly impressive asteroid, being only a mile or so across. It is not unusual in composition, orbit, or position in the Solar System. Astronautica is not bright, being only about magnitude 21. It just happens to the the 100000th asteroid to be assigned a number.
-Astroprof
Orbit diagram generated by NASA, JPL Solar System Dynamics
A Ler…-- Rastos de Luz on October 11, 2007 at 2:49 pm: 1
[…] 100000 Astronautica no Astroprof’s Page […]