Discovery date 23 December 1979 Alternative names 1979 YO · 1988 BB3 Discovered 23 December 1979 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | MPC designation 5160 Camoes Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Absolute magnitude 13.3 | |
Discovered by H. DebehogneE. R. Netto People also search for 5161 Wightman, 5159 Burbine | ||
5160 Camoes, provisional designation 1979 YO, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 23 December 1979, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne and Brazilian astronomer Edgar Netto at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,360 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic. The asteroid's observation arc starts in 1979, as no precoveries were taken and no identifications were made prior to its discovery.
Based on an absolute magnitude of 13.3 and assuming a generic albedo over the range of 0.05 to 0.25, the asteroid measures between 6 and 12 kilometers in diameter. According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 6.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.259. As of 2016, the asteroid's composition, rotation period and shape remain unknown.
The minor planet was named after Portugal's and the Portuguese language's greatest poet, Luís de Camões (1524–1580). His epic Os Lusíadas (The Lusiads), a fantastical interpretation of the Portuguese voyages of discovery during the 15th and 16th centuries, shows an extraordinary knowledge of astronomy. Naming citation was published on 6 February 1993 (M.P.C. 21610).