3789 Zhongguo
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Y. C. Chang |
| Discovery site | Williams Bay |
| Discovery date | October 25, 1928 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 3789 |
| Named after | China |
| Alternative names |
1928 UF , 1986 QK1 (formerly 1125 China; no longer used) |
| Minor planet category | Outer main belt [2] |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch November 30, 2008 | |
| Aphelion | 3.8987 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6604 AU |
| Semi-major axis | 3.27955 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.188778 |
| Orbital period | 2169.3 days (5.94 years) |
| Mean anomaly | 226.505° |
| Inclination | 2.75° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 87.098° |
| Argument of perihelion | 314.389° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.4 [4] |
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3789 Zhongguo (1928 UF, 1986 QK1) is an outer main-belt asteroid discovered on October 25, 1928 by Y. C. Chang at Williams Bay.[1] It is one of very few asteroids located in the 2 : 1 mean motion resonance with Jupiter.[5] When first discovered in 1928, Zhongguo was named 1125 China. However, as it was not seen again, its designation was later taken by 1957 UN1, which became 1125 China. When re-discovered in 1986, it was named Zhongguo, which is the Chinese word for China ("中国", Mandarin: Zhōngguó).[6]
Discovery, loss, rediscovery, and correlation
While studying in Chicago in 1928, Zhang Yuzhe discovered an asteroid that was given the provisional designation 1928 UF, and later the number 1125. He named it "China" or "中国" (Zhōngguó). However, this asteroid was not observed beyond its initial appearance and a precise orbit could not be calculated. In 1957, the Purple Mountain Observatory in China discovered a new asteroid, and with Zhang Yuzhe's agreement the new object 1957 UN1 was re-assigned the official designation 1125 China in place of the lost 1928 UF. However, in 1986, the newly discovered object 1986 QK1 was confirmed to be a rediscovery of the original 1928 UF, and this object was named 3789 Zhongguo.[6]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". IAU: Minor Planet Center. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
- ↑ "3789 Zhongguo (1928 UF)". JPL Small-Body Database. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
- ↑ "(3789) Zhongguo". AstDyS. University of Pisa. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
- ↑ Tholen (2007). "Asteroid Absolute Magnitudes". EAR-A-5-DDR-ASTERMAG-V11.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
- ↑ Roig et al.; Nesvorny, D.; Ferraz-Mello, S. (2002). "Asteroids in the 2 : 1 resonance with Jupiter: dynamics and size distribution". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 335 (2): 417–431. Bibcode:2002MNRAS.335..417R. doi:10.1046/j.1365-8711.2002.05635.x.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Schmadel, Lutz; International Astronomical Union (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names (fifth ed.). Germany: Springer. p. 320. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved January 7, 2009.
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