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74503 Madola (provisional designation 1999 DN₄) is a background asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 23 February 1999, by Canadian astronomer Denis Bergeron at the Val-des-Bois Observatory in Quebec, Canada. The asteroid was named for the three Canadian astronomers Christian Marois, René Doyon and David Lafrenière.

Orbit and classification

Madola is a non-family from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.5–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,912 days; semi-major axis of 3.02 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 17° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken by Spacewatch in April 1994, almost 6 years prior to its official discovery observation at Val-des-Bois.

Physical characteristics

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Madola measures 4.481 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.085.

Rotation period

As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of Madola has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of Canadian astronomers Christian Marois (born 1974), René Doyon (born 1963) and David Lafrenière (born 1978). They had developed instruments and techniques that allowed them to be the first to directly photograph an extrasolar planetary system, namely the first three planets orbiting the star HR 8799 in the constellation Pegasus. At the time of naming this asteroid, René Doyon was the director of the Canadian Mont Mégantic Observatory, while Christian Marois and David Lafrenière were postdocs at the Herzberg Institute of Astrophysics and the University of Toronto.

The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 9 April 2009 (M.P.C. 65712).

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 74503 Madola (1999 DN4)" (2016-08-10 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
2. ^ "74503 Madola (1999 DN4)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 February 2018.
3. ^ "Asteroid 74503 Madola – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
4. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68.
5. "LCDB Data for (74503) Madola". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 2 February 2018.
6. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 February 2018.

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (70001)-(75000) – Minor Planet Center
• Découverte d'un troisième astéroïde 74503 (1999 DN4) Madola, Denis Bergeron at astrosurf.com (in French)
• 74503 Madola at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 74503 Madola at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Background asteroids
• Named minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1999