6117 Brevardastro

6117 Brevardastro, provisional designation 1985 CZ1, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter.

6117 Brevardastro
Discovery [1]
Discovered byH. Debehogne
Discovery siteLa Silla Obs.
Discovery date12 February 1985
Designations
(6117) Brevardastro
Named after
Brevard Astronomical Society
(Brevard County FL USA)[2]
1985 CZ1 · 1979 OO5
main-belt · (inner)
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.66 yr (22,887 days)
Aphelion2.4998 AU
Perihelion2.1866 AU
2.3432 AU
Eccentricity0.0668
3.59 yr (1,310 days)
80.283°
0° 16m 29.28s / day
Inclination6.1246°
305.56°
144.36°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5.199±0.077 km[3]
0.350±0.053[3]
13.3[1]

    The asteroid was discovered on 12 February 1985, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne at ESO's La Silla site in northern Chile. It was later named for the American Brevard Astronomical Society.[2]

    Orbit and classification

    Brevardastro orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,310 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] A first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory in 1954, extending the body's observation arc by 31 years prior to its official discovery observation at La Silla.[2]

    Physical characteristics

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Brevardastro measures 5.199 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.350,[3] which is typical for stony E-type asteroids. As of 2017, the asteroid's rotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][4]

    Naming

    Brevardastro is a contrived name that honors the Brevard Astronomical Society, a very active amateur astronomy community in Brevard County, located on the east coast of Florida, United States, which is known as the "space coast", where the Kennedy Space Center and Cape Canaveral are located and many of the early American space flights originated.[2]

    This society was a winner of the "NameExoWorlds" contest organised by International Astronomical Union (IAU) in 2015, and was also awarded the naming right for this minor planet.[5] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 12 February 2017 (M.P.C. 103029) and approved by the IAU's Committee on Small Body Nomenclature.[6]

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 6117 Brevardastro (1985 CZ1)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
    2. "6117 Brevardastro (1985 CZ1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
    3. Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
    4. "LCDB Data for (6117) Brevardastro". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 7 April 2017.
    5. "17 Minor Planets Named by NameExoWorlds Contest Winners | Press Releases". IAU. 17 February 2017. Retrieved 28 February 2017.
    6. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 February 2017.

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