1008 La Paz

La Paz (minor planet designation: 1008 La Paz), provisional designation 1923 PD, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 31 October 1923, by German astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory and named after the city La Paz in Bolivia.^[2][13]

1008 La Paz

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	M. F. Wolf
Discovery site	Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date	31 October 1923
Designations
MPC designation	(1008) La Paz
Named after	La Paz (Bolivian capital)[2]
Alternative designations	1923 PD · 1950 UN 1970 JA
Minor planet category	main-belt · (outer)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	93.41 yr (34,118 days)
Aphelion	3.3333 AU
Perihelion	2.8495 AU
Semi-major axis	3.0914 AU
Eccentricity	0.0783
Orbital period (sidereal)	5.44 yr (1,985 days)
Mean anomaly	70.925°
Mean motion	0° 10m 52.68s / day
Inclination	8.9362°
Longitude of ascending node	20.553°
Argument of perihelion	14.821°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	38.54 km (derived)[3] 38.64±2.7 km[4] 39.02±0.66 km[5] 40.13±13.98 km[6] 41.061±0.240 km[7] 45.450±0.245 km[8] 49.27±17.54 km[9] 50.50±0.91 km[10]
Synodic rotation period	8.998±0.002 h[11] 9.002±0.001 h[11]
Geometric albedo	0.04±0.02[9] 0.048±0.002[10] 0.05±0.03[6] 0.0592±0.0140[8] 0.0684 (derived)[3] 0.073±0.018[5] 0.0819±0.013[4] 0.099±0.015[7]
Spectral type	C[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	10.40[4][8][10] · 10.50[5] · 10.60[1][3][9] · 10.74[6] · 10.92±0.75[12]

Orbit and classification

La Paz is a background asteroid as it does not belong to any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.8–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,985 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg, 10 days after its official discovery observation.^[13]

Physical characteristics

La Paz is an assumed carbonaceous C-type asteroid.^[3]

Lightcurves

In November 2005, a rotational lightcurve of La Paz was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer René Roy. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 8.998 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.14 magnitude (U=3).^[11] In March 2007, a concurring period of 9.002 hours and an amplitude of 0.14 magnitude (U=3-) was obtained by astronomers Roberto Crippa and Federico Manzini at the Sozzago Astronomical Station in Italy (A12).^[11]

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, La Paz measures between 38.64 and 50.50 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.04 and 0.099.^{[4][5][6][7][8][9][10]}

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0684 and a diameter of 38.54 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.6.^[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named after La Paz, the capital city of Bolivia in South America. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 96).^[2]