4756 Asaramas


4756 Asaramas, provisional designation, is a stony rare-type Eoan asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 April 1950, by astronomers at the La Plata Astronomical Observatory in Argentina. It is named for the astronomical society Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía.

Classification and orbit

Asaramas is a member of the Eos family, the largest asteroid family in the outer main belt consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.2 AU once every 5 years and 3 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.
As no precoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made, the body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at La Plata.

Physical characteristics

Asaramas has been characterized as a L-type asteroid by PanSTARRS photometric survey.

Rotation period

In November 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Asaramas was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a typical rotation period of 16.536 hours with a brightness variation of 0.16 magnitude.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Asaramas measures 11.64 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.188, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for Eoan asteroids of 0.14 and calculates a diameter of 10.78 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 12.59.

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of the Asociación Argentina Amigos de la Astronomía, an astronomical society for amateur astronomers in Argentina. Founded on 4 January 1929, the A.A.A.A. was the first contact with astronomy for a large number of professional astronomers at the La Plata Observatory. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 September 1993.