9949 Brontosaurus
{{Short description|Asteroid}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox planet
| minorplanet = yes
| name = 9949 Brontosaurus
| background = #D6D6D6
| image = AnimatedOrbitOf9949Brontosaurus.gif
| image_scale =
| caption = {{longitem|Orbit of Brontosaurus (blue), with the inner planets and Jupiter (outermost)}}
| discovered = 22 September 1990
| discoverer = E. W. Elst
| discovery_site = La Silla Obs.
| mpc_name = (9949) Brontosaurus
| alt_names = {{mp|1990 SK|6}}{{·}}{{mp|1978 GT|1}}
{{mp|1985 DM|1}}{{·}}1992 BS
| pronounced = {{IPAc-en|ˌ|b|r|ɒ|n|t|ə|ˈ|s|ɔːr|ə|s}}{{OED|Brontosaurus}}
| named_after = Brontosaurus
{{small|(sauropod dinosaur)}}
| mp_category = main-belt{{·}}{{small|(inner)}}
| epoch = 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
| uncertainty = 0
| observation_arc = 38.98 yr (14,236 days)
| aphelion = 2.4982 AU
| perihelion = 2.2105 AU
| semimajor = 2.3544 AU
| eccentricity = 0.0611
| period = 3.61 yr (1,319 days)
| mean_anomaly = 322.53°
| mean_motion = {{Deg2DMS|0.2728|sup=ms}} / day
| inclination = 7.7036°
| asc_node = 29.841°
| arg_peri = 174.63°
| dimensions = {{val|4.231|0.086}} km
17 km
| rotation =
| albedo = {{val|0.248|0.010}}
| spectral_type =
}}
9949 Brontosaurus, provisional designation {{mp|1990 SK|6}}, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, roughly 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 September 1990, by Belgian astronomer Eric Elst at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile. It was named after Brontosaurus, a genus of dinosaurs.
Orbit and classification
Brontosaurus orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,319 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic. It was first identified as {{mp|1978 GT|1}} at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1978, extending the body's observation arc by 12 years prior to its official discovery observation at La Silla.
Physical characteristics
= Diameter and albedo =
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Brontosaurus measures 17 and 4.231 kilometers in diameter, respectively. WISE/NEOWISE also gives an albedo of 0.248 for the body's surface. It has an absolute magnitude of 13.8.
= Rotation period =
As of 2017, the asteroid's rotation period and shape remain unknown.
Naming
This minor planet was named after Brontosaurus, a gigantic quadruped sauropod dinosaurs, which walked on all four legs and lived in the Upper Jurassic. Adult individuals measured up to 20 meters and had a weight of up to 20 tons. Many Fossils have been found in the United States. Brontosaurus is one of the best-known dinosaurs. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 November 2002 ({{small|M.P.C. 47166}}).
{{clear|left}}
References
{{reflist|refs=
|type = 2017-03-29 last obs.
|title = JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 9949 Brontosaurus (1990 SK6)
|url = https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2009949
|publisher = Jet Propulsion Laboratory
|access-date = 22 June 2017}}
|title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (9949) Brontosaurus
|last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D.
|publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg
|page = 714
|date = 2007
|isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3
|doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_7766 |chapter = (9949) Brontosaurus }}
|title = 9949 Brontosaurus (1990 SK6)
|work = Minor Planet Center
|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=9949
|access-date = 17 March 2017}}
|title = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive
|work = Minor Planet Center
|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html
|access-date = 17 March 2017}}
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = Joseph R. |last1 = Masiero
|first2 = A. K. |last2 = Mainzer
|first3 = T. |last3 = Grav
|first4 = J. M. |last4 = Bauer
|first5 = R. M. |last5 = Cutri
|first6 = J. |last6 = Dailey
|first7 = P. R. M. |last7 = Eisenhardt
|first8 = R. S. |last8 = McMillan
|first9 = T. B. |last9 = Spahr
|first10 = M. F. |last10 = Skrutskie
|first11 = D. |last11 = Tholen
|first12 = R. G. |last12 = Walker
|first13 = E. L. |last13 = Wright
|first14 = E. |last14 = DeBaun
|first15 = D. |last15 = Elsbury
|first16 = T. IV |last16 = Gautier
|first17 = S. |last17 = Gomillion
|first18 = A. |last18 = Wilkins
|date = November 2011
|title = Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters
|url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011ApJ...741...68M
|journal = The Astrophysical Journal
|volume = 741
|issue = 2
|page = 20
|bibcode = 2011ApJ...741...68M
|doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68
|arxiv = 1109.4096
|access-date= 17 March 2017}}
|title = LCDB Data for (9949) Brontosaurus
|publisher = Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)
|url = http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=9949%7CBrontosaurus
|access-date = 17 March 2017}}
}}
External links
- [http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/lcdbsummaryquery.php Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)], query form ([http://www.minorplanet.info/lightcurvedatabase.html info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216050541/http://www.minorplanet.info/lightcurvedatabase.html |date=16 December 2017 }})
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg Dictionary of Minor Planet Names], Google books
- [http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page_cou.html Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR] – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- [https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/NumberedMPs005001.html Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (5001)-(10000)] – Minor Planet Center
- {{AstDys|9949}}
- {{JPL small body}}
{{Minor planets navigator |(9948) 1990 QB2 |number=9949 |9950 ESA}}
{{Small Solar System bodies}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Brontosaurus}}