Astronomy:5160 Camoes

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5160 Camoes
Discovery [1]
Discovered byH. Debehogne
E. R. Netto
Discovery siteESO–La Silla Obs.
Discovery date23 December 1979
Designations
(5160) Camoes
Named afterLuís de Camões
(Portuguese poet)[2]
1979 YO · 1988 BB3
Minor planet categorymain-belt · (inner)
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc37.22 yr (13,593 days)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.5715 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.2316 AU
2.4016 AU
Eccentricity0.0708
Orbital period3.72 yr (1,359 days)
Mean anomaly209.42°
Mean motion0° 15m 53.28s / day
Inclination8.2916°
Longitude of ascending node129.14°
156.49°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5.984±0.137[3]
9±3 km (calculated)[4]
Geometric albedo0.259±0.075[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)13.3[1]


5160 Camoes, provisional designation 1979 YO, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid was discovered on 23 December 1979, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne and Brazilian astronomer Edgar Netto at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.[5] It was later named for Portuguese poet Luís de Camões.[2]

Orbit and classification

Camoes orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,359 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The asteroid's observation arc starts in 1979, as no precoveries were taken and no identifications were made prior to its discovery.[5]

Physical characteristics

Based on an absolute magnitude of 13.3 and assuming a generic albedo over the range of 0.05 to 0.25, Camoes measures between 6 and 12 kilometers in diameter.[4]

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Camoes measures 6.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.259.[3] As of 2016, the asteroid's composition, rotation period and shape remain unknown.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet, Luís de Camões (1524–1580). His epic Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), a fantastical interpretation of the Portuguese voyages of discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries, shows an extraordinary knowledge of astronomy.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 February 1993 (M.P.C. 21610).[6]

References

External links