1597 Laugier

1597 Laugier, provisional designation 1949 EB, is an asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 March 1949, by French astronomer Louis Boyer at the north African Algiers Observatory in Algeria.^[6] It was later named after French astronomer Marguerite Laugier.^[2]

1597 Laugier

Shape model of Laugier from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	L. Boyer
Discovery site	Algiers Obs.
Discovery date	7 March 1949
Designations
MPC designation	(1597) Laugier
Named after	Marguerite Laugier (French astronomer)[2]
Alternative designations	1949 EB
Minor planet category	main-belt · (outer)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	68.01 yr (24,840 days)
Aphelion	3.1024 AU
Perihelion	2.5869 AU
Semi-major axis	2.8446 AU
Eccentricity	0.0906
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.80 yr (1,752 days)
Mean anomaly	67.764°
Mean motion	0° 12m 19.44s / day
Inclination	11.812°
Longitude of ascending node	158.63°
Argument of perihelion	52.042°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	12.885±0.169[4] 24.30 km (calculated)[3]
Synodic rotation period	8.0199 h[3] 8.02272 h[5]
Geometric albedo	0.057 (assumed)[3] 0.244±0.033[4]
Spectral type	C[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	11.7[1] · 11.8[3]

Orbit and classification

This asteroid orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,752 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] As no precoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made, Laugier's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation in 1949.^[6]

Physical characteristics

Laugier is a presumed C-type asteroid^[3]

Lightcurves

A rotational lightcurve for this asteroid from an unpublished source at the Asteroid Light Curve Database gave a well-defined rotation period of 8.020 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.68 and 0.71 in magnitude (U=3).^[3] A similar period of 8.023 hours was previously obtained from remodeled data of the Lowell photometric database in March 2016.^[1][5]

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Laugier measures 12.9 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.244,^[4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057, and calculates a diameter of 24.3 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.8.^[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named after French astronomer and asteroid discoverer Marguerite Laugier (1896–1976). The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 August 1978 (M.P.C. 4418).^[7]