.png) Lightcurve-based 3D-model ofAmbartsumian | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | T. Smirnova |
| Discovery site | Crimean Astrophysical Obs. |
| Discovery date | 14 May 1972 |
| Designations | |
| (1905) Ambartsumian | |
Named after | Victor Ambartsumian (theoretical astrophysicist)[2] |
| 1972 JZ · 1932 FC 1952 HO3 · 1959 QD 1962 JX · 1969 PF 1976 SS5 | |
| main-belt · (inner) | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 84.99 yr (31,043 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.5842AU |
| Perihelion | 1.8624 AU |
| 2.2233 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1623 |
| 3.32yr (1,211 days) | |
| 224.81° | |
| 0° 17m 50.28s / day | |
| Inclination | 2.6158° |
| 201.37° | |
| 61.590° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 8.008±0.417 km[3] 12±5 km(generic)[4] |
| 0.229±0.037[3] | |
| 12.8[1] | |
1905 Ambartsumian, provisional designation1972 JZ, is anasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 14 May 1972, by Russian astronomerTamara Smirnova at theCrimean Astrophysical Observatory, Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula.[5] The asteroid was named after theoretical astrophysicistVictor Ambartsumian.[2]
Ambartsumian orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,211 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.16 and aninclination of 3° with respect to theecliptic.[1] It was first identified as1932 FC atSimeiz Observatory in 1932, extending the body'sobservation arc by 40 years prior to its official discovery observation.[5]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Ambartsumian measures 8.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.23.[3] When using a generic diameter-to-magnitude conversion, it has a diameter of 7–17 kilometers, based on an absolutemagnitude of 12.8 and an albedo in the range of 0.05–0.25, which accounts for both the brighterstony as well as for the darkercarbonaceous spectral types.[4] As of 2017,Ambartsumian's composition,rotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][6]
Thisminor planet was named after Soviet–Armenian theoretical astrophysicistVictor Ambartsumian (1908–1996), founder of the Soviet School for Astrophysics, president of the Academy of Sciences of the Armenian SSR, director of theByurakan Observatory, and president of theIAU (1961–1964).[2] The officialnaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3937).[7]
