3568 ASCII, provisional designation 1936 UB, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 17 October 1936, by French astronomer Marguerite Laugier at the Nice Observatory in southwestern France. In 1988, the D-type asteroid was named after both the computer character code ASCII and the Japanese computer magazine with the same name.[1]

3568 ASCII
Discovery [1]
Discovered byM. Laugier
Discovery siteNice Obs.
Discovery date17 October 1936
Designations
(3568) ASCII
Named after
ASCII / ASCII (magazine) (character code and magazine)[1]
1936 UB · 1975 WZ1
main-belt[1][2] · (outer)
background[3]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc81.52 yr (29,776 d)
Aphelion3.8974 AU
Perihelion2.4073 AU
3.1523 AU
Eccentricity0.2363
5.60 yr (2,044 d)
264.51°
0° 10m 33.96s / day
Inclination19.454°
58.210°
280.22°
TJupiter3.0770
Physical characteristics
23.752±0.211 km[4]
0.045±0.007[4]
D (SDSS-MOC)[5]
11.8[2]

Orbit and classification

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ASCII is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[3] It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.4–3.9 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,044 days; semi-major axis of 3.15 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.24 and an inclination of 19° with respect to the ecliptic.[2]

The body's observation arc begins with its observation as 1975 WZ1 at the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in November 1975, or more than 39 years after its official discovery observation at Nice.[1]

Physical characteristics

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ASCII has an absolute magnitude of 11.8.[2] Based on the Moving Object Catalog (MOC) of the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, the body has a spectral type of a very dark D-type asteroid,[5] typically found in the outer main-belt and numerous among the Jupiter trojans. As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of this asteroid has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[2]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, ASCII measures 23.752 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.045.[4]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after the acronym for American Standard Code for Information Interchange, ASCII, a computer character code and the name of a major Japanese magazine on microcomputers.[1] The name was proposed by Syuichi Nakano, who identified this asteroid during his stay at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory; a stay which was partially funded by articles he wrote for the principal Japanese ASCII magazine. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 April 1988 (M.P.C. 12973).[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "3568 ASCII (1936 UB)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3568 ASCII (1936 UB)" (2018-04-26 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Asteroid 3568 ASCII". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  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. S2CID 118745497. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
  5. ^ a b Carvano, J. M.; Hasselmann, P. H.; Lazzaro, D.; Mothé-Diniz, T. (February 2010). "SDSS-based taxonomic classification and orbital distribution of main belt asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 510: 12. Bibcode:2010A&A...510A..43C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913322. Retrieved 30 October 2019. (PDS data set)
  6. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 May 2018.
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