Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

2940 Bacon

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Discovery date
  
24 September 1960

Alternative names
  
3042 P–L · 1981 ER3

Observation arc
  
53.69 yr (19609 days)

Orbits
  
Sun

Discovery site
  
Palomar Observatory

MPC designation
  
2940 Bacon

Minor planet category
  
main-belt

Discovered
  
24 September 1960

Named after
  
Francis Bacon

Asteroid group
  
Asteroid belt

Discovered by
  
Palomar–Leiden survey C. J. van Houten, I. van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels

Discoverers
  
Tom Gehrels, Cornelis Johannes van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld

People also search for
  
Sun, 9511 Klingsor, 11767 Milne

2940 Bacon, also designated 3042 P–L, is an asteroid from the asteroid belt that was discovered on September 24, 1960 by Cornelis van Houten, Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld and Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California. The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,696 days). The orbit is rather eccentric (0.24).

The designation P–L stands for Palomar–Leiden, named after Palomar Observatory and Leiden Observatory, which collaborated on the fruitful Palomar–Leiden survey in the 1960s. Gehrels used Palomar's Samuel Oschin telescope (also known as the 48-inch Schmidt Telescope), and shipped the photographic plates to Cornelis Johannes van Houten and Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld at Leiden Observatory. The trio are credited with several thousand asteroid discoveries.

It was named in honour of English scholar Sir Francis Bacon (1561–1626). He has been called the father of empiricism and his works established and popularized the scientific method.

References

2940 Bacon Wikipedia