1712 Angola

1712 Angola, provisional designation 1935 KC, is a dark asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 66 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 May 1935, by English-born South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa.^[11] It is named after the Republic of Angola.^[2]

1712 Angola

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	C. Jackson
Discovery site	Johannesburg Obs.
Discovery date	28 May 1935
Designations
MPC designation	(1712) Angola
Named after	Angola (country)[2]
Alternative designations	1935 KC · 1929 GC 1935 ML · 1946 JB 1953 SD · 1963 MD
Minor planet category	main-belt · (outer)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	87.94 yr (32,121 days)
Aphelion	3.6492 AU
Perihelion	2.6832 AU
Semi-major axis	3.1662 AU
Eccentricity	0.1525
Orbital period (sidereal)	5.63 yr (2,058 days)
Mean anomaly	190.35°
Mean motion	0° 10m 29.64s / day
Inclination	19.393°
Longitude of ascending node	237.61°
Argument of perihelion	18.217°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	59.31 km (derived)[3] 59.48±2.3 km[4] 64.904±1.218 km[5] 66.892±0.298[6] 70.07±1.03 km[7] 74.47±0.68 km[8]
Synodic rotation period	11.527 h[3] 11.5274±0.0007 h[9] 11.53 h[9]
Geometric albedo	0.029±0.003[8][6] 0.043±0.002[7] 0.0458 (derived)[3] 0.0504±0.0126[5] 0.0600±0.005[4]
Spectral type	P[5] · C[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	9.8[4][5][7] · 10.1[1][3][8] · 10.15±0.24[10]

Orbit

Angola orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 8 months (2,058 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 19° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] Angola was first identified as 1929 GC at Johannesburg in 1929, extending the body's observation arc by 6 years prior to its official discovery observation.^[11]

Lightcurve

In July 2003, French amateur astronomer René Roy obtained a rotational lightcurve of Angola. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 11.5274 hours with a brightness variation of 0.38 magnitude (U=3).^[9] Photometric observations by ESO's CCD-specialist Cyril Cavadore gave an identical period of 11.53 hours with an insufficient amplitude of 0.02 magnitude (U=1).^[9]

Spectra, diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Angola measures between 59.48 and 70.07 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.029 and 0.060.^[4][6][7][8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0458 and a diameter of 59.31 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.1.^[3] The carbonaceous C-type asteroid is also classified a dark P type by WISE.^[5]

Naming

This minor planet is named for Angola, the state on the southwestern coast of Africa.^[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5183).^[12]