1578 Kirkwood
Encyclopedia
| Orbital characteristics *http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=1578;orb=1 | |
|---|---|
| Orbit Orbit In physics, an orbit is the gravitationally curved path of an object around a point in space, for example the orbit of a planet around the center of a star system, such as the Solar System... type |
Main belt (Hilda) |
| Semimajor axis | 3.928 AU Astronomical unit An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance.... |
| Perihelion distance | 2.989 AU Astronomical unit An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance.... |
| Aphelion distance | 4.867 AU Astronomical unit An astronomical unit is a unit of length equal to about or approximately the mean Earth–Sun distance.... |
| Orbital period Orbital period The orbital period is the time taken for a given object to make one complete orbit about another object.When mentioned without further qualification in astronomy this refers to the sidereal period of an astronomical object, which is calculated with respect to the stars.There are several kinds of... |
7.79 years |
| Inclination Inclination Inclination in general is the angle between a reference plane and another plane or axis of direction.-Orbits:The inclination is one of the six orbital parameters describing the shape and orientation of a celestial orbit... |
0.8° |
| Eccentricity | 0.239 |
| Physical characteristics *http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=1578;orb=1 | |
| Diameter Diameter In geometry, a diameter of a circle is any straight line segment that passes through the center of the circle and whose endpoints are on the circle. The diameters are the longest chords of the circle... |
52.38 km |
| Abs. magnitude Absolute magnitude Absolute magnitude is the measure of a celestial object's intrinsic brightness. it is also the apparent magnitude a star would have if it were 32.6 light years away from Earth... |
10.26 |
| Albedo Albedo Albedo , or reflection coefficient, is the diffuse reflectivity or reflecting power of a surface. It is defined as the ratio of reflected radiation from the surface to incident radiation upon it... |
0.051 |
| History http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iau/lists/NumberedMPs000001.html | |
| Designation | 1951 AT |
| Alt. Designations | 1944 DF; 1949 TF; 1952 FK |
| Discoverer | Indiana University Indiana University Bloomington Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana... , 1951 |
1578 Kirkwood, also known as 1944 DF, 1949 TF, 1951 AT and 1952 FK, is an asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
which was discovered January 10, 1951 at Goethe Link Observatory
Goethe Link Observatory
The Goethe Link Observatory is an astronomical observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana , owned by Indiana University and operated by the Indiana Astronomical Society. It is named in honour of Dr. Goethe Link, an Indianapolis surgeon, who built it with his private funds. Construction of the observatory...
near Brooklyn, Indiana
Brooklyn, Indiana
Brooklyn is a town in Clay Township, Morgan County, Indiana, United States. The population was 1,598 at the 2010 census.-Geography:Brooklyn is located at ....
by the Indiana Asteroid Program
Indiana Asteroid Program
The Indiana Asteroid Program was a program of photographic asteroid observations made with a 10-inch f/6.5 Cooke triplet astrographic camera at Goethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana. The program was initiated by Frank K. Edmondson of Indiana University in 1949 and continued until 1967...
. This program was conceived and directed by Frank K. Edmondson
Frank K. Edmondson
Frank K. Edmondson was an American astronomer.-Life and career:Edmondson was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin and grew up in Seymour, Indiana...
of Indiana University
Indiana University Bloomington
Indiana University Bloomington is a public research university located in Bloomington, Indiana, in the United States. IU Bloomington is the flagship campus of the Indiana University system. Being the flagship campus, IU Bloomington is often referred to simply as IU or Indiana...
. The photographic plates were blinked and measured astrometrically by B. Potter and, following her retirement, by D. Owings; and the photometry was performed under the direction of T. Gehrels
Tom Gehrels
Tom Gehrels , was an American astronomer, Professor Planetary Sciences, and Astronomer at the University of Arizona, Tucson....
. During the years 1947–1967, in which the plates were exposed, a large number of people participated in various aspects of the program. The asteroid is named for astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
Daniel Kirkwood
Daniel Kirkwood
Daniel Kirkwood was an American astronomer.Born in Harford County, Maryland, he was graduated in mathematics from the York County Academy in York, Pennsylvania in 1838...
(1814–1895), who was an Indiana University professor.