3240 Laocoon
3240 Laocoon /leɪˈɒkoʊ.ɒn/ is a carbonaceous Jupiter trojan from the Trojan camp, approximately 51 kilometers (32 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 7 November 1978, by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Schelte Bus at Palomar Observatory in California. The D-type asteroid belongs to the 100 largest Jupiter trojans and has a rotation period of 11.3 hours. It was named after Laocoön from Greek mythology.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. F. Helin S. J. Bus |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 7 November 1978 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (3240) Laocoon |
| Pronunciation | /leɪˈɒkoʊ.ɒn/ |
Named after | Laocoön (Greek mythology) |
Alternative designations | 1978 VG6 · 1976 SA9 1976 SL2 · 1978 WS12 |
Minor planet category | Jupiter trojan Trojan · background |
| Adjectives | Laocoontian |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 41.65 yr (15,212 d) |
| Aphelion | 5.8990 AU |
| Perihelion | 4.5704 AU |
Semi-major axis | 5.2347 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1269 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 11.98 yr (4,375 d) |
Mean anomaly | 204.44° |
Mean motion | 0° 4m 56.28s / day |
| Inclination | 2.3352° |
Longitude of ascending node | 296.28° |
| 15.393° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.3117 AU |
| TJupiter | 2.9820 |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 51.69±0.25 km |
Synodic rotation period | 11.312±0.024 h |
| 0.060±0.014 | |
| D (Pan-STARRS) D (SDSS-MOC) B–V = 0.670±0.060 V–R = 0.430±0.040 V–I = 0.880±0.046 | |
| 10.1 10.2 | |
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