4942 Munroe
| 13.5[1] | |
4942 Munroe, provisional designation 1987 DU6, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 24 February 1987, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile, and later named after American cartoonist and former NASA roboticist Randall Munroe.[2]
Orbit and classification
Munroe orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,193 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It was first identified as 1955 MS at the
Leiden Southern Station (Johannesburg-Hartbeespoort) in 1955, extending the body's observation arc by 32 years prior to its official discovery observation.[2]
Physical characteristics
In the
SMASS taxonomy, Munroe is characterized as an X-type asteroid. It has an absolute magnitude of 13.5.[1]
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the
Chicxulub asteroid.[4]
Lightcurves
As of 2017, Munroe's
Naming
In 2013, it was named after
M.P.C. 84378).[8]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4942 Munroe (1987 DU6)" (2017-03-28 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
- ^ a b c "4942 Munroe (1987 DU6)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ S2CID 118745497. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ Munroe, Randall (30 September 2013). "Asteroid 4942 Munroe". xkcd. Retrieved 7 July 2014.
- ^ "LCDB Data for (4942) Munroe". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 18 April 2017.
- ^ Richardson, Chris (2 October 2013). "xkcd Author Gets Asteroid Named After Him". iEntry Network. Archived from the original on 4 February 2015. Retrieved 8 May 2014.
- ^ Lecher, Colin (October 2, 2013). "Aw, They Named An Asteroid After The Creator Of XKCD". nextmedia Pty Ltd. Archived from the original on May 12, 2014. Retrieved May 8, 2014.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 April 2017.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 4942 Munroe at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 4942 Munroe at the JPL Small-Body Database
