| 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 | 2.9165 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7185 AU |
| 2.3175 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2585 |
| 3.53 yr (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±1.9703 h [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 designation 1981 EY38) is a stony background asteroid and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2.9 kilometers (1.8 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 March 1981, by American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia. The asteroid was named for the Los Molinos Observatory in Uruguay. [2]
Los Molinos is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. [4] It orbits the Sun in the inner 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 an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic. [1] The body's observation arc begins with its first observations as 1978 NB3 at Crimea–Nauchnij in July 1978. [2]
Based on its high albedo and its location within the asteroid belt, Los Molinos is an assumed S-type asteroid. [3]
In August 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Los Molinos was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 267.906±1.9703 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.33 magnitude ( U=2 ). [7] This makes Los Molinos one of the top 200 slow rotators known to exist. [3]
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Los Molinos measures 2.853 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.34. [5] [6]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 2.96 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 15.01. [3]
This minor planet was named after the Los Molinos Observatory ( 844 ) located near Montevideo in Uruguay. The observatory is known for its astrometric follow-up observations of asteroids and comets. [2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 13 April 2017 ( M.P.C. 103975/103976). [9]
