13963 Euphrates
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. W. Elst |
| Discovery site | La Silla Obs. |
| Discovery date | 3 August 1991 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 13963 Euphrates |
Named after | Euphrates (river)[2] |
| 1991 PT4 · 1997 TO10 | |
| main-belt (outer)[1] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 44.62 yr (16,298 days) |
| Aphelion | 4.1873 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.4769 AU |
| 3.3321 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2566 |
| 6.08 yr (2,222 days) | |
| 347.17° | |
| 0° 9m 43.2s / day | |
| Inclination | 0.9355° |
| 227.18° | |
| 129.83° | |
| Jupiter Tisserand parameter | 3.108 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 9±1 km (est. at 0.06)[3] |
| 13.9[1] | |
|
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13963 Euphrates, provisional designation 1991 PT4, is an asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 3 August 1991, by Belgian astronomer Eric Elst at ESO's La Silla Observatory site in Chile.[4]
This asteroid is one of very few bodies located in the 2 : 1 mean motion resonance with the gas giant Jupiter.[5] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.5–4.2 AU once every 6 years and 1 month (2,222 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 1° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Due to a precovery obtained at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, the asteroid's observation arc begins in 1984.[4]
As of 2016, the asteroid's effective size, its composition and albedo, as well as its rotation period and shape remains unknown. Based on an absolute magnitude of 13.9, it measures between 4 and 10 kilometers in diameter, assuming an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25. Since asteroids in the outer main-belt are mostly of a carbonaceous rather than of a silicaceous composition, with low albedos, typically around 0.06, its diameter is likely to be between 8 and 10 kilometers.[3]
The minor planet was named after the Euphrates river, that flows through northern Syria and Iraq. It is one of the most historically important rivers of Western Asia. The Tigris–Euphrates river system, a major river system, is formed when the two rivers combine at Al Qurnah. The minor planet 13096 Tigris is named after the other river of this system.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 13963 Euphrates (1991 PT4)" (2015-11-08 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 9 April 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (13963) Euphrates, Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 82. ISBN 978-3-540-34360-8. Retrieved April 2016.
- 1 2 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved April 2016.
- 1 2 "13963 Euphrates (1991 PT4)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved April 2016.
- ↑ Roig, F.; Nesvorný, D.; Ferraz-Mello, S. (September 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. Retrieved April 2016.
External links
- (13963) Euphrates at AstDyS, University of Pisa
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (10001)-(15000) – Minor Planet Center
- 13963 Euphrates at the JPL Small-Body Database
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