916 America

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916 America
Discovery[1]
Discovered by G. N. Neujmin
Discovery date 7 August 1915
Designations
MPC designation 1915 S1
Named after
United States of America
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 27 October 2007 (JDCT 2454400.5)
Aphelion 2.922 AU
Perihelion 1.807 AU
2.365 AU
Eccentricity 0.236
3.64 a
Inclination 11.097°
329.84°
41.538°

916 America is a minor planet orbiting the Sun in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter.

It was discovered on 7 August 1915 by the Russian astronomer Grigory Nikolaevich Neujmin at Simeis, Russian Empire.[1] Originally designated 916ΣI, it was renamed '916 America' on 24 February 1923 after the Council of Astronomers at Pulkovo Observatory decided to commemorate "the friendly relations of the astronomical observatories and astronomers".[2] Another possible reason for the name was as a mark of appreciation for the help given during the 1921 Russian famine by the American Relief Administration under the later President Herbert Hoover.[3]

In 1986, assuming that the asteroid was of S-type and that it had a diameter of 15 km, the rotational period was measured to be 38 hours.[4] Observations by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite have since shown that it has a diameter of 33.2±1.3 km, with an absolute magnitude of 11.20 and an albedo of 0.053±0.004.[1]

References

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  2. Asteroid (916) America (1923). Popular Astronomy, volume 31, page 364.
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