| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Félix Aguilar Obs. |
| Discovery site | El Leoncito |
| Discovery date | 10 October 1974 |
| Designations | |
| (2311) El Leoncito | |
Named after | El Leoncito(observatories)[2] |
| 1974 TA1 · 1928 DM 1944 KD · 1972 KH 1972 LM · 1976 AE | |
| main-belt · (outer) | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 44.87 yr (16,387 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.7866AU |
| Perihelion | 3.4866 AU |
| 3.6366 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0412 |
| 6.94yr (2,533 days) | |
| 107.06° | |
| 0° 8m 31.56s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.6174° |
| 156.68° | |
| 189.64° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 53.1±3 km(IRAS:10)[1] |
| 0.0388±0.005(IRAS:10)[1] | |
| Tholen =D [1] B–V = 0.752[1] U–B = 0.209[1] | |
| 10.52[1] | |
2311 El Leoncito, provisional designation1974 TA1, is a dark and reddishasteroid from the outer region of theasteroid belt, approximately 53 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid was discovered by astronomers atFélix Aguilar Observatory at theLeoncito Astronomical Complex in Argentina on 10 October 1974.[3] It was later named after the discovering site.
El Leoncito orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 3.5–3.8 AU once every 6 years and 11 months (2,533 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.04 and aninclination of 7° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
It has a well-observed orbit with the lowest possible uncertainty – acondition code of 0 – and anobservation arc that spans over a period of almost half a century, usingprecovery images on photographic plates from 1972.
El Leoncito is characterized as aD-type asteroid in theTholen taxonomy, one of only 46 known asteroids of thisspectral type.[4]
The body has a lowalbedo of 0.04, typical for D-type asteroids.[4] Itsrotation period, however, remains unknown.[1]
Thisminor planet derives its name from the Spanish name of the discovering astronomical complex of observatories, theComplejo Astronómico El Leoncito (CASLEO).[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 22 September 1983 (M.P.C. 8153).[5]
