Discovered by P. Djurkovic Discovered 27 August 1940 Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 27 August 1940 Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Orbits Sun Discoverer Petar Đurković | |
Alternative names 1940 QC · 1929 PM1951 SB · 1951 SO1955 XP · 1962 WJ Discovery site Belgrade Astronomical Observatory People also search for 1564 Srbija, 1605 Milankovitch, Sun | ||
1700 Zvezdara, provisional designation 1940 QC, is a dark asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 August 1940, by Serbian astronomer Petar Đurković at Belgrade Astronomical Observatory, Serbia.
The X-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,325 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.23 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.
In September 2009, two rotational light-curves of Zvezdara were obtained from observations, after being identified as a good candidate for photometry. They gave an identical rotation period of 9.114 hours with a brightness variation of 0.10 and 0.13 magnitude, respectively (U=3/3-).
According to the survey carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Zvezdara measures 20.17 and 21.71 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.045 and 0.039, respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.043 and a diameter of 20.86 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.45, similar to one of the light-curve studies that calculated a diameter of 20.89 kilometers.
This minor planet is named after the hilly Zvezdara municipality of the city of Belgrade. It is the location of the Belgrade Observatory, founded in 1934. The Serbian word Zvezdara means "star-house" when literally translated. Zvezdara was one of two asteroids discovered by Petar Đurković, the other being 1605 Milankovitch. Naming citation was published on 1 August 1980 (M.P.C. 5449).