759 Vinifera
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_Vinifera.png) Modelled shape of Vinifera from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | F. Kaiser |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 26 August 1913 |
| Designations | |
| (759) Vinifera | |
| Pronunciation | /vaɪˈnɪfərə/[2] |
Named after | Vitis vinifera (common grape vine)[3] |
| A913 QC · 1913 SJ | |
| Orbital characteristics[4] | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 106.44 yr (38,879 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.1565 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.0806 AU |
| 2.6185 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2054 |
| 4.24 yr (1,548 d) | |
| 79.523° | |
| 0° 13m 57.36s / day | |
| Inclination | 19.905° |
| 318.35° | |
| 0.9245° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 59.0 km × 29.3 km[6] |
| 14.229±0.003 h[11] | |
| SMASS = X[4] | |
759 Vinifera (prov. designation: A913 QC or 1913 SJ) is a large background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 50 kilometers (31 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 26 August 1913, by German astronomer Franz Kaiser at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany.[1] The dark X-type asteroid has a rotation period of 14.2 hours and a heavily elongated shape. It was named after the plant species vitis vinifera, also known as the common grape vine.[3]
Vinifera is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[5][6] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–3.2 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,548 days; semi-major axis of 2.62 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 20° with respect to the ecliptic.[4] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation by Franz Kaiser at the Heidelberg Observatory on 26 August 1913.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named after the plant vitis vinifera, the common grape vine, to honor the discoverer's ancestors who were winemakers. The naming was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 76).[3]
