3043 San Diego
Encyclopedia
3043 San Diego is an inner main belt asteroid
discovered by Eleanor F. Helin
on September 30, 1982 at Palomar Observatory
. It is a member of the Hungaria family
. Its provisional designation was 1982 SA, but on May 3, 1984, it was named after the city of San Diego, California
.
The asteroid name was given to the city due to the council's efforts in the dark-sky movement
. Palomar mountain is located within San Diego County, California
, and the astronomers at the site were concerned that the light pollution
from the city would ruin their ability to use the observatory. The council had voted to use Low-Pressure Sodium (LPS
) vapor lamps for their street lights. This fixture only emitted light at one wavelength
, which astronomers could readily filter out.
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...
discovered by Eleanor F. Helin
Eleanor F. Helin
Eleanor Francis "Glo" Helin was an American astronomer. She was principal investigator of the Near Earth Asteroid Tracking program of NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Some sources give her name as Eleanor Kay Helin...
on September 30, 1982 at Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory
Palomar Observatory is a privately owned observatory located in San Diego County, California, southeast of Pasadena's Mount Wilson Observatory, in the Palomar Mountain Range. At approximately elevation, it is owned and operated by the California Institute of Technology...
. It is a member of the Hungaria family
Hungaria family
The Hungaria asteroids are a group of asteroids in the asteroid belt that orbit the Sun between 1.78 and 2.00 AU. The asteroids typically have a low eccentricity and an inclination of 16 to 34 degrees....
. Its provisional designation was 1982 SA, but on May 3, 1984, it was named after the city of San Diego, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The asteroid name was given to the city due to the council's efforts in the dark-sky movement
Dark-sky movement
The dark-sky movement is a campaign by people who want to reduce light pollution so people can see the stars, to reduce the effects of unnatural lighting on the environment, and to cut down on energy usage....
. Palomar mountain is located within San Diego County, California
San Diego County, California
San Diego County is a large county located in the southwestern corner of the US state of California. Hence, San Diego County is also located in the southwestern corner of the 48 contiguous United States. Its county seat and largest city is San Diego. Its population was about 2,813,835 in the 2000...
, and the astronomers at the site were concerned that the light pollution
Light pollution
Light pollution, also known as photopollution or luminous pollution, is excessive or obtrusive artificial light.The International Dark-Sky Association defines light pollution as:...
from the city would ruin their ability to use the observatory. The council had voted to use Low-Pressure Sodium (LPS
Sodium vapor lamp
A sodium vapor lamp is a gas discharge lamp that uses sodium in an excited state to produce light. There are two varieties of such lamps: low pressure and high pressure...
) vapor lamps for their street lights. This fixture only emitted light at one wavelength
Wavelength
In physics, the wavelength of a sinusoidal wave is the spatial period of the wave—the distance over which the wave's shape repeats.It is usually determined by considering the distance between consecutive corresponding points of the same phase, such as crests, troughs, or zero crossings, and is a...
, which astronomers could readily filter out.