asteroid 1120 Cannonia

asteroid 1120 Cannonia is a main-belt minor planet discovered in 1928 during a prolific period of asteroid discovery at Heidelberg Observatory. It was identified by Karl Reinmuth, one of the most productive observers associated with early 20th-century surveys alongside contemporaries linked to Royal Astronomical Society, Yerkes Observatory, and Mount Wilson Observatory. The object has been part of follow-up programs involving observatories such as Palomar Observatory, Lowell Observatory, and Kitt Peak National Observatory.

Discovery and designation

1120 Cannonia was discovered on 11 July 1928 by Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory, an institution tied to figures such as Max Wolf and projects like the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut. The provisional designation "1928 PD" followed the nomenclature conventions codified by the International Astronomical Union and practiced by archives including the Minor Planet Center and catalogs maintained by Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Reinmuth's discovery sits in the same epoch as finds by Giuseppe Piazzi, Heinrich Olbers, and later surveys associated with C. H. F. Peters and Johann Palisa.

Orbit and classification

Cannonia orbits within the main asteroid belt between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, part of the dynamical population characterized by semimajor axes cataloged in databases managed by NASA and the European Space Agency. Its orbital elements are computed using methods developed at institutions like the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the Minor Planet Center, and refined through astrometry contributed by programs at European Southern Observatory, Arecibo Observatory, and Mauna Kea Observatories. Dynamically, it is assessed against families and groups identified in studies by researchers connected to Karin cluster, Koronis family, and classification schemes from the Tholen classification and SMASS taxonomy literature. Long-term integrations referencing models from Laplace-era celestial mechanics and modern work at Caltech and MIT place its stability context in relation to resonances studied by Henri Poincaré and Simon Newcomb.

Physical characteristics

Photometric and spectroscopic measurements obtained at facilities including Palomar Observatory, Kitt Peak National Observatory, Calar Alto Observatory, and Space Telescope Science Institute indicate a diameter on the order of 28 kilometers, with albedo and spectral type estimated using techniques established by Eugene Shoemaker and teams at Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Spectral comparisons reference taxonomies advanced by David J. Tholen and Schelte J. Bus, and fit within compositional frameworks informed by meteorite studies from collections at Smithsonian Institution and research at Lunar and Planetary Laboratory. Thermal models employing methods from H. E. Harris and radiometric analyses connected to missions like NEOWISE and instruments on Infrared Astronomical Satellite inform estimates of surface properties and regolith, discussed in literature alongside results from missions such as Hayabusa and OSIRIS-REx. Rotational lightcurve campaigns coordinated by networks including the International Astronomical Union's Minor Planet Center and observers at Siding Spring Observatory have provided constraints comparable to studies by teams at Observatoire de Paris and Lowell Observatory.

Naming

The naming of this minor planet follows traditions overseen by the International Astronomical Union and historical practices exemplified by honorees such as Ceres (dwarf planet), Vesta, and naming decisions documented in archives at the Smithsonian Institution and the Max Planck Society. The citation for its name was published in naming circulars distributed by committees with membership from institutions like Harvard College Observatory and the Royal Astronomical Society. The conventions applied mirror those used for asteroids named by discoverers including Heinrich Olbers and Giuseppe Piazzi and recorded in catalogs curated by the Minor Planet Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory.

Observation history and studies

Observational records for Cannonia span nearly a century and include astrometry recorded at Heidelberg Observatory, photometry from Palomar Observatory and Kitt Peak National Observatory, and infrared measurements from missions like IRAS and NEOWISE. Analysis has been part of broader surveys led by teams affiliated with Caltech, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and the Max Planck Institute for Solar System Research, and cited in compendia prepared by the Minor Planet Center and Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Follow-up studies reference methodologies from researchers such as Eugene Shoemaker, David J. Tholen, and Schelte J. Bus, and are integrated into databases used by projects at European Southern Observatory, Arecibo Observatory, and educational programs at Harvard University and University of Cambridge. Ongoing monitoring by amateur networks coordinated with professional facilities including Royal Astronomical Society programs and the International Astronomical Union contributes to ephemerides employed by spacecraft navigation teams at NASA and ESA.

Category:Main-belt asteroids