1712 Angola Explained

Minorplanet:yes
1712 Angola
Background:
  1. D6D6D6
Discovered:28 May 1935
Mpc Name:(1712) Angola
Alt Names:1935 KC1929 GC
1935 ML1946 JB
1953 SD1963 MD
Epoch:4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty:0
Observation Arc:87.94 yr (32,121 days)
Perihelion:2.6832 AU
Semimajor:3.1662 AU
Eccentricity:0.1525
Period:5.63 yr (2,058 days)
Mean Motion: / day
Inclination:19.393°
Asc Node:237.61°
Arg Peri:18.217°
Dimensions:59.31 km
km
km

km
km
Rotation:11.527 h
h
h
Albedo:

0.0458

Abs Magnitude:9.810.1

1712 Angola, provisional designation, is a dark asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 66 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 May 1935, by English-born South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa. It is named after the Republic of Angola.

Orbit

Angola orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 8 months (2,058 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 19° with respect to the ecliptic. Angola was first identified as at Johannesburg in 1929, extending the body's observation arc by 6 years prior to its official discovery observation.

Lightcurve

In July 2003, French amateur astronomer René Roy obtained a rotational lightcurve of Angola. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 11.5274 hours with a brightness variation of 0.38 magnitude . Photometric observations by ESO's CCD-specialist Cyril Cavadore gave an identical period of 11.53 hours with an insufficient amplitude of 0.02 magnitude .

Spectra, diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Angola measures between 59.48 and 70.07 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.029 and 0.060. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0458 and a diameter of 59.31 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.1. The carbonaceous C-type asteroid is also classified a dark P type by WISE.

Naming

This minor planet is named for Angola, the state on the southwestern coast of Africa. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 .

External links