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Provisional designation in astronomy is the naming convention applied to astronomical objects immediately following their discovery. The provisional designation is usually superseded by a permanent designation once a reliable orbit has been calculated. Approximately 47% of the more than 1,100,000 known minor planets remain provisionally designated, as hundreds of thousands have been discovered in the last two decades.
The Purple Mountain Observatory, also known as Zijinshan Astronomical Observatory is an astronomical observatory located on the Purple Mountain in the east of Nanjing.
Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld was a Dutch astronomer.
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Siding Spring Observatory near Coonabarabran, New South Wales, Australia, part of the Research School of Astronomy & Astrophysics (RSAA) at the Australian National University (ANU), incorporates the Anglo-Australian Telescope along with a collection of other telescopes owned by the Australian National University, the University of New South Wales, and other institutions. The observatory is situated 1,165 metres (3,822 ft) above sea level in the Warrumbungle National Park on Mount Woorat, also known as Siding Spring Mountain. Siding Spring Observatory is owned by the Australian National University (ANU) and is part of the Mount Stromlo and Siding Spring Observatories research school.
In astrodynamics, the orbital eccentricity of an astronomical object is a dimensionless parameter that determines the amount by which its orbit around another body deviates from a perfect circle. A value of 0 is a circular orbit, values between 0 and 1 form an elliptic orbit, 1 is a parabolic escape orbit, and greater than 1 is a hyperbola. The term derives its name from the parameters of conic sections, as every Kepler orbit is a conic section. It is normally used for the isolated two-body problem, but extensions exist for objects following a rosette orbit through the Galaxy.
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P/2011 P1 (McNaught) was a Jupiter-family comet that passed extremely close to Jupiter on 4 December 2010 and disintegrated by 2012. It was discovered on 1 August 2011 by astronomer Robert H. McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. With an observation arc of 415 days, the comet's nominal orbit solution suggests that its 2010 approach distance was 0.00084 astronomical units from Jupiter's center—well within Jupiter's Roche limit at which the comet would be torn apart by tidal forces. The earliest precovery image of the comet was taken by Pan-STARRS 1 on 6 December 2010, two days after the comet's close pass with Jupiter.
References
- 1 2 "Minor Planet Discoverers (by number)". Minor Planet Center. 22 August 2016. Retrieved 24 August 2016.
- ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3173) McNaught". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3173) McNaught. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 263. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3174. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ↑ Mobberley, Martin (2011). Hunting and imaging comets. New York: Springer. p. 75. ISBN 9781441969057.
- ↑ "Earth-threatening space rocks hunted by ANU". Media releases. Australian National University. 6 April 2004. Retrieved 21 January 2007.
- ↑ Kronk, Gary. "C/2007 P1 (McNaught)". Cometography. Retrieved 24 April 2013.
- ↑ Safi, Michael (20 October 2014). "Earth at risk after cuts close comet-spotting program, scientists warn". The Guardian . Retrieved 25 November 2015.
- ↑ "AANEAS". Mt Stromlo Observatory. Archived from the original on 29 February 2016. Retrieved 27 November 2015.
- 1 2 "Vital eye for killer asteroids could shut imminently".
- ↑ "Comet century may be telescope's last › News in Science (ABC Science)". Australian Broadcasting Corporation . 14 May 2013.
- ↑ Vlahos, Perry (20 December 2012). "Who's on night watch?". Sydney Morning Herald.
