7796 Járacimrman (Czech pronunciation: [ˈjaːratsɪmr̩man]) is a dark Adeonian asteroid orbiting in the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by Zdeněk Moravec at the Kleť Observatory in 1996, it was later named after Jára Cimrman, a Czech fictional character.[2]

7796 Járacimrman
Discovery [1]
Discovered byZ. Moravec
Discovery siteKleť Obs.
Discovery date16 January 1996
Designations
(7796) Járacimrman
PronunciationCzech pronunciation: [ˈjaːratsɪmr̩man]
Named after
Jára Cimrman[2]
(Fictional Czech inventor, composer, writer, poet, and the teacher of the nation.)
1996 BG · 1973 YE3
1990 VG
main-belt · (middle)
Adeona[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc43.02 yr (15,712 days)
Aphelion3.0429 AU
Perihelion2.2879 AU
2.6654 AU
Eccentricity0.1416
4.35 yr (1,589 days)
340.60°
0° 13m 35.4s / day
Inclination12.811°
93.831°
41.775°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions11.312±0.313 km[4]
0.055±0.011[4]
13.4[1]

Discovery

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Járacimrman was discovered by Zdeněk Moravec at the Kleť Observatory in the Czech Republic, on 16 January 1996 and was initially designated 1996 BG.[5] Observations continued until April 1996, and then again between June and July 1997. The asteroid was later determined to be a lost asteroid which had previously been observed twice: at the Brera-Merate Observatory in northern Italy on 12 December 1973, and at Mount Stromlo Observatory, near Canberra, Australia, on 8 and 9 July 1990.

Classification and orbit

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The asteroid is a member of the Adeona family (505), a large family of carbonaceous asteroids.[3]

In 1997, Járacimrman's orbit was calculated more precisely by additional observatories and it could therefore be numbered as asteroid 7796, the 312th recognized (numbered) asteroid discovered at the Kleť Observatory. Moravec suggested naming it after the fictional Czech polymath Jára Cimrman.

Physical characteristics

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Járacimrman measures 11.312 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.055,[4] which is typical for carbonaceous C-type asteroids. However, no spectral data is available for the asteroid, thus neither its chemical nor mineralogical composition is currently known. In addition, no rotational lightcurve has been obtained of Járacimrman as of 2017.[6]

Naming

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The citation accompanying the suggestion said: "Named for Jára Cimrman, a fictitious Czech genius. An analogue to Leonardo da Vinci, he was a playwright, composer, poet, painter, versatile scientist, inventor, polar explorer, sportsman, first man on the moon, etc. Although his name is not mentioned in any encyclopedia, his work is explored at the Jára Cimrman Theatre in Prague. This theatre is headed by the famous cimrmanologists Z. Svěrák and L. Smoljak, who endorsed the name proposal."[2] The name was approved by International Astronomical Union (IAU) Committee on Small Body Nomenclature and published on 11 February 1998 (M.P.C. 31298).[7]

References

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  1. ^ a b c "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 7796 Jaracimrman (1996 BG)" (2016-12-31 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(7796) Járacimrman". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (7796) Járacimrman. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 616. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_6681. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b "Asteroid 7796 Jaracimrman – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  5. ^ "7796 Jaracimrman (1996 BG)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  6. ^ "LCDB Data for (7796) Járacimrman". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  7. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
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