12621 Alsufi
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Palomar–Leiden survey C. J. van Houten, I. van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 24 September 1960 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 12621 Alsufi |
|
Named after
|
Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (astronomer)[2] |
| 6585 P–L · 1997 JJ12 | |
| main-belt · Themis [3] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 55.13 yr (20,137 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.5178 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6986 AU |
| 3.1082 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1317 |
| 5.48 yr (2,002 days) | |
| 357.92° | |
| Inclination | 2.4307° |
| 148.05° | |
| 204.57° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 6.76 km (calculated)[3] |
| 4.72±0.0024 h[4] | |
| 0.08 (assumed)[3] | |
| C [3] | |
| 13.9[1] | |
12621 Alsufi, also designated 6585 P–L, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by the Dutch and Dutch–American astronomers Cornelis van Houten and Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld at Leiden, on photographic plates taken by Tom Gehrels at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, on 24 September 1960.[5]
The C-type asteroid is a member of the Themis family, a dynamical family of outer-belt asteroids with nearly coplanar ecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.5 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,002 days). Its orbit is tilted by 2 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic and shows an eccentricity of 0.13. The body has a rotation period of 4.72±0.0024 hours, with a brightness amplitude of 0.71,[4] and an albedo of 0.08, as assumed by the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link.[3]
The designation P–L stands for Palomar–Leiden, named after Palomar Observatory and Leiden Observatory, which collaborated on the fruitful Palomar–Leiden survey in the 1960s. Gehrels used Palomar's Samuel Oschin telescope (also known as the 48-inch Schmidt Telescope), and shipped the photographic plates to Cornelis van Houten and Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld at Leiden Observatory where astrometry was carried out. The trio are credited with several thousand asteroid discoveries.
The minor planet is named after the Persian astronomer Abd al-Rahman al-Sufi (903–986), also known by his western name, Azophi. Working in Isfahan, he produced his influential star atlas around 963. The atlas is based on both, Ptolemy's Almagest and on pre-Islamic star lore, and contains the earliest description of the Andromeda Galaxy.[2] The lunar crater Azophi is also named in his honour.
References
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External links
- 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
- 12621 Alsufi at the JPL Small-Body Database
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