| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana University (Indiana Asteroid Program) |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 15 December 1957 |
| Designations | |
| (1853) McElroy | |
Named after | William D. McElroy (American biochemist)[2] |
| 1957 XE · 1930 YP 1950 NX · 1950 OM | |
| main-belt · (outer)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 66.70 yr (24,364 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.2153AU |
| Perihelion | 2.9115 AU |
| 3.0634 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0496 |
| 5.36yr (1,958 days) | |
| 106.92° | |
| 0° 11m 1.68s / day | |
| Inclination | 15.759° |
| 298.77° | |
| 89.936° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 17.47±0.64 km[4] 20.89 km(derived)[3] 21.09±0.67 km[5] 21.14±1.0 km[6] 23.807±0.154[7] 24.065±0.282 km[8] |
| 8.016±0.005h[9] 8.0229±0.0041 h(R)[10] 8.0262±0.0020 h(R)[10] | |
| 0.1937(derived)[3] 0.197±0.032[7] 0.1986±0.0276[8] 0.2494±0.026[6] 0.261±0.018[5] 0.304±0.055[4] | |
| X[11] · C[3] | |
| 10.5[5][6][8] · 10.70[4] · 10.766±0.003(R)[10] · 10.8[1][3] · 10.91±0.26[11] | |
1853 McElroy, provisional designation1957 XE, is anasteroid from the outer region of theasteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 December 1957, by theIndiana Asteroid Program atGoethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, United States, and named for American biochemistWilliam D. McElroy.[2][12]
McElroy orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.2 AU once every 5 years and 4 months (1,958 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.05 and aninclination of 16° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
It was first identified as1930 YP atLowell Observatory in 1930. However the observation remained unused and the body'sobservation arc begins with its official discovery in 1957.[12]
McElroy is characterized as a genericX-type and carbonaceousC-type asteroid by the Lightcurve Data Base and byPanSTARRS' photometric survey, respectively.[3][11]
Between 2004 and 2011, three rotationallightcurves ofMcElroy were obtained atBrian Warner's Palmer Divide Observatory and at thePalomar Transient Factory, respectively. Lightcurve analysis gave arotation period between 8.016 and 8.026 hours with a brightness variation of 0.18–0.30magnitude (U=3-/2/2).[9][10]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite, and NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,McElroy measures between 17.47 and 24.07 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has analbedo of 0.197 to 0.304.[4][5][6][7][8]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.194 and a diameter of 20.89 kilometers with anabsolute magnitude of 10.8.[3]
Thisminor planet was named in honor of American biochemistWilliam David McElroy (1917–1999), chairman of the biology department atJohns Hopkins University during the 1950s and 1960s, later director of theNational Science Foundation (NSF) in the early 1970s and chancellor of theUniversity of California at San Diego from until 1980.[2]
During his tenure as director of NSF the U.S. government decided to fund theVery Large Array, now officially known as theKarl G. Jansky Very Large Array.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 1 August 1980 (M.P.C. 5450).[13]
