1831 Nicholson

1831 Nicholson

Discovery [1]
Discovered by	P. Wild
Discovery site	Zimmerwald Obs.
Discovery date	17 April 1968
Designations
MPC designation	1831 Nicholson
Named after	Seth B. Nicholson[2]
Alternative names	1968 HC · 1948 GF 1955 ML
Minor planet category	main-belt
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	60.14 yr (21967 days)
Aphelion	2.5250 AU (377.73 Gm)
Perihelion	1.9538 AU (292.28 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.2394 AU (335.01 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.12754
Orbital period	3.35 yr (1224.0 d)
Mean anomaly	43.680°
Mean motion	0° 17^m 38.796^s / day
Inclination	5.6328°
Longitude of ascending node	72.613°
Argument of perihelion	183.64°
Earth MOID	0.937659 AU (140.2718 Gm)
Jupiter MOID	2.50866 AU (375.290 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter	3.619
Physical characteristics
Rotation period	3.228 h (0.1345 d)
Spectral type	SMASS = S
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.5

1831 Nicholson, provisional designation 1968 HC, is a stony asteroid from the asteroid belt discovered on April 17, 1968 by astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland. The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 4 months.^[1]

It is named after American astronomer Seth B. Nicholson (1891–1963), who pioneered in several branches of planetary research at Mount Wilson Observatory and discovered the four Jupiter moons, Sinope, Lysithea, Carme, and Ananke.^[2] The lunar and Martian crater Nicholson have also been named after him.

References

1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1831 Nicholson (1968 HC)" (2015-08-14 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 20 April 2016.
2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1831) Nicholson. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 147. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved October 2015.

External links

• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• 1831 Nicholson at the JPL Small-Body Database

• Discovery · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters