2285 Ron Helin
2285 Ron Helin, provisional designation 1976 QB, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner region of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 August 1976, by American astronomer Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California.[5]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | S. J. Bus |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 27 August 1976 |
| Designations | |
| (2285) Ron Helin | |
Named after | Ronald P. Helin husband of astronomer Eleanor F. Helin[2] |
| 1976 QB | |
| main-belt · Flora [3] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 40.54 yr (14,807 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.6815 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7578 AU |
| 2.2197 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2081 |
| 3.31 yr (1,208 days) | |
| 139.05° | |
| 0° 17m 52.8s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.3339° |
| 157.85° | |
| 182.81° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 4.11 km (calculated)[3] |
| 12 h[4] | |
| 0.24 (assumed)[3] | |
| S [3] | |
| 14.0[1] · 14.1[3] | |
Orbit and characterization
Ron Helin is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,208 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. Its rotation period is 12 hours.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named in honor of Ronald Helin, husband of American astronomer Eleanor Helin (1932–2009), in appreciation of his support of the Palomar Planet-Crossing Asteroid Survey (PCAS).[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 11 December 1981 (M.P.C. 6531).[6]
References
- "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2285 Ron Helin (1976 QB)" (2017-03-11 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2285) Ron Helin". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2285) Ron Helin. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 186. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2286. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- "LCDB Data for (2285) Ron Helin". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (2285) Ron Helin". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- "2285 Ron Helin (1976 QB)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
- "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 2285 Ron Helin at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 2285 Ron Helin at the JPL Small-Body Database