1917 Cuyo (
''prov. designation'': ) is an stony
asteroid and
near-Earth object
A near-Earth object (NEO) is any small Solar System body whose orbit brings it into proximity with Earth. By convention, a Solar System body is a NEO if its closest approach to the Sun (perihelion) is less than 1.3 astronomical units (AU). ...
of the
Amor group, approximately in diameter. It was discovered on 1 January 1968, by astronomer
Carlos Cesco
Carlos Ulrrico Cesco (died 1987) was an Argentina, Argentine astronomer. He lived most of his life in San Juan, Argentina. He was a well-known discoverer of minor planets credited by the Minor Planet Center (MPC) with the discovery of 19 numbered ...
and
A. G. Samuel at
El Leoncito Observatory, Argentina.
Orbit and classification
''Cuyo'' orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.1–3.2
AU once every 3 years and 2 months (1,151 days;
semi-major axis of 2.15 AU). Its orbit has an
eccentricity
Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to:
* Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal"
Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics
* Off-Centre (geometry), center, in geometry
* Eccentricity (g ...
of 0.51 and an
inclination
Orbital inclination measures the tilt of an object's orbit around a celestial body. It is expressed as the angle between a reference plane and the orbital plane or axis of direction of the orbiting object.
For a satellite orbiting the Eart ...
of 24
° with respect to the
ecliptic
The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of the Earth around the Sun. From the perspective of an observer on Earth, the Sun's movement around the celestial sphere over the course of a year traces out a path along the ecliptic agains ...
.
Naming
This
minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''mino ...
is named in honor of the
Universidad Nacional de Cuyo
The National University of Cuyo ( es, Universidad Nacional de Cuyo, UNCuyo) is the largest center of higher education in the province of Mendoza, Argentina.
As of 2005, the university had 12 academic schools in the city of Mendoza and a delegat ...
, which operated the observatory at El Leoncito in collaboration with Columbia and Yale University.
Cuyo is also the name of a region in central-west Argentina.
The official was published by the
Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1975 ().
Physical characteristics
SMASS classification
An asteroid spectral type is assigned to asteroids based on their emission spectrum, color, and sometimes albedo. These types are thought to correspond to an asteroid's surface composition. For small bodies that are not internally differentiat ...
''Cuyo'' is a stony Sl-type.
In 1989, ''Cuyo'' was detected with
radar
Radar is a detection system that uses radio waves to determine the distance ('' ranging''), angle, and radial velocity of objects relative to the site. It can be used to detect aircraft, ships, spacecraft, guided missiles, motor vehicles, we ...
from the
Arecibo Observatory at a distance of 0.17
AU. The measured
radar cross-section was 2.5 km
2.
According to the survey carried out by NASA's
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE, observatory code C51, Explorer 92 and SMEX-6) is a NASA infrared astronomy space telescope in the Explorers Program. It was launched in December 2009, and placed in hibernation mode in February 201 ...
with its subsequent
NEOWISE
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE, observatory code C51, Explorer 92 and SMEX-6) is a NASA infrared astronomy space telescope in the Explorers Program. It was launched in December 2009, and placed in hibernation mode in February 201 ...
mission, ''Cuyo'' measures 5.7 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an
albedo
Albedo (; ) is the measure of the diffuse reflection of solar radiation out of the total solar radiation and measured on a scale from 0, corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation, to 1, corresponding to a body that refl ...
of 0.195.
References
External links
Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB) query form
)
Dictionary of Minor Planet Names Google books
– Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
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001917
Discoveries by Carlos Ulrrico Cesco
Named minor planets
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