| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | A. Mrkos |
| Discovery site | Kleť Obs. |
| Discovery date | 25 June 1987 |
| Designations | |
| (6377) Cagney | |
Named after | James Cagney (American actor and dancer)[2] |
| 1987 ML1 · 1953 LA 1991 GF2 | |
| main-belt · Eunomia[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 65.36 yr (23,871 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0383AU |
| Perihelion | 2.2031 AU |
| 2.6207 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1593 |
| 4.24yr (1,550 days) | |
| 65.816° | |
| 0° 13m 56.28s / day | |
| Inclination | 15.444° |
| 125.33° | |
| 115.32° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 8.76 km(calculated)[3] 9.38±2.91 km[4] |
| 4.171±0.003h[5] | |
| 0.16±0.11[4] 0.21(assumed)[3] | |
| C[3][6] | |
| 12.6[1][3] · 12.76[4] · 12.79±0.59[6] | |
6377 Cagney, provisional designation1987 ML1, is a carbonaceous Eunomiaasteroid from the central region of theasteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter.
The asteroid was discovered on 25 June 1987, by Czech astronomerAntonín Mrkos at South BohemianKleť Observatory in the Czech Republic. It was named after American actor and dancerJames Cagney.[2][7]
Cagney is a member of theEunomia family, the most prominent family of otherwisestony asteroids in theintermediate main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,550 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.16 and aninclination of 15° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
A firstprecovery was taken atPalomar Observatory in 1951, extending the body'sobservation arc by 36 years prior to its official discovery observation at Klet.[7]
Cagney has been characterized as a carbonaceousC-type asteroid byPanSTARRS' photometric survey.[3][6]
A rotationallightcurve ofCagney was obtained by Slovak astronomerAdrián Galád atModra Observatory in February 2008. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-definedrotation period of4.171 hours with a brightness variation of 0.20magnitude (U=3).[5]
According to the survey carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Cagney measures 9.38 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.16.[4]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes analbedo of 0.21 (which is typical forstony asteroids) and calculates a diameter of 8.76 kilometers with anabsolute magnitude of 12.6.[3]
Thisminor planet was named in memory of American actor and dancerJames Cagney (1899–1986), remembered best for playing multifaceted tough guys in movies such asThe Public Enemy (1931) andAngels with Dirty Faces (1938).
In 1942, Cagney won the Oscar for his energetic portrayal ofGeorge M. Cohan inYankee Doodle Dandy.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 20 June 1997 (M.P.C. 30098).[8]
