Discovery date 30 October 1957 Minor planet category main-belt Aphelion 3.8083 AU (569.71 Gm) Inclination 3.0412° Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Observation arc 106.94 yr (39061 days) Discovered 30 October 1957 Orbits Sun | |
Alternative names 1957 UN1 · 1959 EL1971 KX · 1974 VMA909 BE Discovery site | ||
1125 China (1957 UN1) is a main belt asteroid orbiting the Sun. It makes a revolution around the Sun once every 5 years. It was discovered at the Purple Mountain Observatory, Nanking, on October 30, 1957. Named for the country in which it was discovered, its name and number were actually taken from another asteroid that was considered a lost asteroid at the time, but was eventually rediscovered and given the new designation 3789 Zhongguo (1928 UF). What is now known as 1125 China had a provisional designation: 1957 UN1.
First 1125 China
While studying in Chicago in 1928, Zhang Yuzhe discovered an asteroid that was given the provisional designation 1928 UF, and later the number 1125. He named it "China" or "中華" (Zhōnghuá). However, this asteroid was not observed beyond its initial appearance and a precise orbit could not be calculated. In 1957, the Purple Mountain Observatory in China discovered a new asteroid, and with Zhang Yuzhe's agreement the new object 1957 UN1 was reassigned the official designation 1125 China in place of the lost 1928 UF. However, in 1986, the newly discovered object 1986 QK1 was confirmed to be a rediscovery of the original 1928 UF, and this object was named 3789 Zhongguo. Zhongguo is the Chinese word for China.