274301 Wikipedia

274301 Wikipedia

Orbit of Wikipedia
Discovery [1]
Discovered by Andrushivka Obs.
Discovery site Andrushivka Obs.
Discovery date 25 August 2008
Designations
MPC designation (274301) Wikipedia
Pronunciation /ˌwɪkiˈpiːdiə/
WIK-i-PEE-dee-ə
Named after
 Wikipedia
(online encyclopedia)[2]
2008 QH24 · 1997 RO4
2007 FK34
main-belt · (inner)
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 19.29 yr (7,047 days)
Aphelion 2.7315 AU
Perihelion 2.0299 AU
2.3807 AU
Eccentricity 0.1473
3.67 yr (1,342 days)
174.64°
0° 16m 5.88s / day
Inclination 6.7345°
183.40°
139.53°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 1.3 km (est. at 0.20)[3]
1.5±0.5 km (assumed)[4]
16.9[1]

    274301 Wikipedia (/ˌwɪkiˈpiːdiə/ WIK-i-PEE-dee-ə), provisional designation 2008 QH24, is an asteroid orbiting in the inner region of the asteroid belt, approximately 1.3 kilometers (0.81 mi) in diameter. It was discovered on 25 August 2008 by astronomers at the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory in northern Ukraine.[2] The asteroid was named after the online encyclopedia Wikipedia in January 2013.[1]

    Discovery

    Wikipedia was discovered by astronomers from the Andrushivka Astronomical Observatory (A50) in Ukraine, the country's only privately owned observatory,[5] which has discovered over 90 asteroids since 2003.[6] It was first observed by the Andrushivka team on 25 August 2008 at 22:47 UTC.[2] It was also observed on the next night and it received provisional designation 2008 QH24.[7] After it was also observed on 6 September by the Andrushivka team, the orbit of the asteroid was calculated accurately. It was shown that the asteroid 2008 QH24 was the same as 1997 RO4 and 2007 FK34 previously spotted by observatories Caussols-ODAS (France), Mt. Lemmon Survey and Steward Observatory (both in Arizona, U.S.).[2]

    On 18 April 2011, Wikipedia received the number 274301.[8] The composition of the asteroid is not known but it is likely to consist, like other asteroids from the asteroid belt, of a mixture of rock and metal.[9]

    Orbit

    Wikipedia orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU (300–400 million km) once every 3 years and 8 months (1,342 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins almost 11 years prior to its official discovery observation, with its first identification 1997 RO4 made by the ODAS survey in September 1997.[2]

    Name

    The decision of the Committee for Small Body Nomenclature to assign the name "Wikipedia" to the asteroid was published in the Minor Planet Circulars on 27 January 2013 (M.P.C. 82403).[10] The name was proposed by Andriy Makukha, a board member of Wikimedia Ukraine. It was submitted to the Committee by the owner of the observatory, Yuri Ivashchenko.[5] It reads:

    “ Wikipedia is a free, copyleft, collaboratively edited online encyclopedia launched in 2001. In 11 years of its compilation it became one of the largest reference works and one of the most visited web-sites on the Internet. It is developed in more than 270 languages by enthusiasts from all over the world. ”
    — International Astronomical Union, January 13, 2013[1]

    See also

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 274301 Wikipedia (2008 QH24)" (2016-12-24 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 "274301 Wikipedia (2008 QH24)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    3. ↑ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS – NASA/JPL. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    4. ↑ Workman, Robert (5 February 2013). "'Wikipedia' is in space — as an asteroid". NBC News. Retrieved 12 February 2013.
    5. 1 2 "Астероїд, відкритий в Україні, було названо "Вікіпедія"". RegioNews. 31 January 2013.
    6. ↑ "Minor Planet Discoverers". Minor Planet Center. 30 January 2013.
    7. ↑ "MPS 255948" (PDF). Minor Planet Center. 14 September 2008.
    8. ↑ "MPC 74684" (PDF). Minor Planet Center. 18 April 2011.
    9. ↑ "Відкритий в Україні астероїд назвали "Вікіпедія"". NEWSru.ua. 31 January 2012. Archived from the original on 15 December 2013.
    10. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
    Wikinews has related news: Main belt asteroid No. 274301 named 'Wikipedia'

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