| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | S. J. Bus |
| Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
| Discovery date | 2 March 1981 |
| Designations | |
| (10476) Los Molinos | |
Named after | Los Molinos Observatory[2] (Uruguayan observatory) |
| 1981 EY38 · 1978 NB3 | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 39.31 yr (14,358 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.9165AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7185 AU |
| 2.3175 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2585 |
| 3.53yr (1,289 days) | |
| 95.559° | |
| 0° 16m 45.84s / day | |
| Inclination | 9.4472° |
| 249.86° | |
| 38.678° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2.853±0.014 km[5][6] 2.96 km(calculated)[3] |
| 267.906±1.9703h[7] | |
| 0.20(assumed)[3] 0.3424±0.0425[5][6] | |
| S[3] | |
| 14.4[6] · 14.556±0.003(R)[7] · 14.6[1] · 15.01[3] · 15.33±0.50[8] | |
10476 Los Molinos (provisional designation1981 EY38) is a stony backgroundasteroid andslow rotator from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 March 1981, by American astronomerSchelte Bus at theSiding Spring Observatory in Australia. The asteroid was named for theLos Molinos Observatory in Uruguay.[2]
Los Molinos is a non-family asteroid from the main belt'sbackground population.[4] It orbits the Sun in theinner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.7–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,289 days;semi-major axis of 2.32 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.26 and aninclination of 9° with respect to theecliptic.[1] The body'sobservation arc begins with its first observations as1978 NB3 atCrimea–Nauchnij in July 1978.[2]
Based on its highalbedo and its location within the asteroid belt, Los Molinos is an assumedS-type asteroid.[3]
In August 2010, a rotationallightcurve of Los Molinos was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at thePalomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave arotation period of267.906±1.9703 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.33magnitude (U=2).[7] This makesLos Molinos one of thetop 200 slow rotators known to exist.[3]
According to the survey carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Los Molinos measures 2.853 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a highalbedo of 0.34.[5][6]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 2.96 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 15.01.[3]
Thisminor planet was named after theLos Molinos Observatory (844) located nearMontevideo in Uruguay. The observatory is known for itsastrometric follow-up observations of asteroids andcomets.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 13 April 2017 (M.P.C. 103975/103976).[9]
