3789 Zhongguo

For 1957 UN1, see 1125 China.
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
1928 UF , 1986 QK1
(formerly 1125 China; no longer used)
Outer main belt [2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch November 30, 2008
Aphelion 3.8987 AU
Perihelion 2.6604 AU
3.27955 AU
Eccentricity 0.188778
2169.3 days (5.94 years)
226.505°
Inclination 2.75°
87.098°
314.389°
Physical characteristics
12.4 [4]

    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 reassigned 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. ↑ 1.0 1.1 "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". IAU: Minor Planet Center. Retrieved December 7, 2008.
    2. ↑ "3789 Zhongguo (1928 UF)". JPL Small-Body Database. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved January 4, 2009.
    3. ↑ "(3789) Zhongguo". AstDyS. University of Pisa. Retrieved December 11, 2008.
    4. ↑ 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.
    5. ↑ Roig; Nesvorny, D.; Ferraz-Mello, S. et al. (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. ↑ 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.