Astronomy:3240 Laocoon

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3240 Laocoon
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. F. Helin
S. J. Bus
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date7 November 1978
Designations
(3240) Laocoon
Pronunciation/lˈɒk.ɒn/[6]
Named afterLaocoön
(Greek mythology)[2]
1978 VG6 · 1976 SA9
1976 SL2 · 1978 WS12
Minor planet categoryJupiter trojan[1][3]
Trojan [4] · background[5]
AdjectivesLaocoontian
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc41.65 yr (15,212 d)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}5.8990 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}4.5704 AU
5.2347 AU
Eccentricity0.1269
Orbital period11.98 yr (4,375 d)
Mean anomaly204.44°
Mean motion0° 4m 56.28s / day
Inclination2.3352°
Longitude of ascending node296.28°
15.393°
Jupiter MOID0.3117 AU
TJupiter2.9820
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter51.69±0.25 km[7]
Rotation period11.312±0.024 h[8]
Geometric albedo0.060±0.014[7]
D (Pan-STARRS)[9][10]
D (SDSS-MOC)[11]
B–V = 0.670±0.060[12]
V–R = 0.430±0.040[12]
V–I = 0.880±0.046[9]
Absolute magnitude (H)10.1[7]
10.2[1][3][9]


3240 Laocoon /lˈɒk.ɒn/ 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.[9] 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.[9][10][11]

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 11.312±0.024 hours with a brightness variation of 0.55±0.02 in magnitude (U=2+).[9][8]

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,[7] 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.[9]

100+ largest Jupiter trojans

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).[13]

See also

  • Laocoön (El Greco)

References

  1. Jump up to: 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "3240 Laocoon (1978 VG6)". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=3240. 
  2. Jump up to: 2.0 2.1 2.2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3240) Laocoon". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 269. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3241. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. 
  3. Jump up to: 3.0 3.1 3.2 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3240 Laocoon (1978 VG6)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2003240. 
  4. Jump up to: 4.0 4.1 "List of Jupiter Trojans". Minor Planet Center. 1 June 2018. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/JupiterTrojans.html. 
  5. Jump up to: 5.0 5.1 "Asteroid (3240) Laocoon – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?n=3240&pc=1.1.6. 
  6. Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  7. Jump up to: 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 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. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/759/1/49. Bibcode2012ApJ...759...49G. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2012ApJ...759...49G. Retrieved 17 June 2018.  (online catalog)
  8. Jump up to: 8.0 8.1 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. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/141/5/170. Bibcode2011AJ....141..170M. 
  9. Jump up to: 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 9.5 9.6 "LCDB Data for (3240) Laocoon". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=3240%7CLaocoon. 
  10. Jump up to: 10.0 10.1 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". Icarus 261: 34–47. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Bibcode2015Icar..261...34V. 
  11. Jump up to: 11.0 11.1 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. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913322. Bibcode2010A&A...510A..43C. https://sbnarchive.psi.edu/pds3/non_mission/EAR_A_I0035_5_SDSSTAX_V1_1/data/sdsstax_ast_table.tab. Retrieved 30 October 2019.  (PDS data set)
  12. Jump up to: 12.0 12.1 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. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2016.01.026. Bibcode2016Icar..271..158C. 
  13. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html. 

External links