{{Short description|Main-belt asteroid}} {{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}} {{Infobox planet | minorplanet = yes | name = 2003 Harding | background = #D6D6D6 | image = | image_size = | caption = | discovery_ref = <ref name="jpldata" /> | discovered = 24 September 1960 | discoverer = C. J. van Houten<br />I. van Houten-G.<br />T. Gehrels | discovery_site = Palomar Obs. | mpc_name = (2003) Harding | alt_names = 6559 P-L{{·}}1934 XH<br />1941 BH{{·}}1952 BP<br />1952 DT{{·}}{{mp|1971 SU|1}}<br />1972 YT{{·}}{{mp|1973 AG|1}} | named_after = Karl Harding<br />{{small|(German astronomer)}}<ref name="springer" /> | mp_category = main-belt{{·}}{{small|(outer)}} | orbit_ref = <ref name="jpldata" /> | epoch = 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | uncertainty = 0 | observation_arc = 82.47 yr (30,122 days) | aphelion = 3.4477 AU | perihelion = 2.6723 AU | semimajor = 3.0600 AU | eccentricity = 0.1267 | period = 5.35 yr (1,955 days) | mean_anomaly = 98.138° | mean_motion = {{Deg2DMS|0.1841|sup=ms}} / day | inclination = 1.8693° | asc_node = 64.474° | arg_peri = 70.697° | dimensions = {{val|20.173|0.112}}<ref name="Masiero-2011" /> | rotation = {{Convert|2.96|h|d|abbr=on|lk=on}}<ref name="Alvarez-2004" /> | albedo = {{val|0.065|0.005}}<ref name="Masiero-2011" /> | spectral_type = C<ref name="lcdb" /> | abs_magnitude = 12.0<ref name="jpldata" /> }}
'''2003 Harding''', provisional designation {{mp|6559 P-L}}, is a carbonaceous Eoan asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 18 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered during the Palomar–Leiden survey on 24 September 1960, by astronomers Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten at Leiden, and Tom Gehrels at Palomar, California.<ref name="MPC-Harding" /> The asteroid was later named after astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding.<ref name="springer" />
== Orbit and characterization ==
The asteroid is a member of the Eos family.<ref name="Alvarez-2004" /> Orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 4 months, the asteroid's path is nearly coplanar to the plane of the ecliptic with an orbital inclination of less than 2 degrees. It has a short rotation period of three hours.<ref name="jpldata" />
The survey 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 Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten at Leiden Observatory where astrometry was carried out. The trio are credited with the discovery of several thousand asteroid discoveries.<ref name="MPC-discoverers" />
== Naming ==
The asteroid is named after German astronomer Karl Ludwig Harding (1765–1834), who discovered the minor planet 3 Juno. He is also honored by the lunar crater ''Harding''.<ref name="springer" /> The official {{MoMP|2003|naming citation}} was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 ({{small|M.P.C. 4238}}).<ref name="DoMP-Circular-dates" />
== References == {{reflist|30em|refs=
<ref name="jpldata">{{cite web |type = 2017-06-02 last obs. |title = JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2003 Harding (6559 P-L) |url = https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2002003 |publisher = Jet Propulsion Laboratory |access-date = 17 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="springer">{{cite book |title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2003) Harding |last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D. |publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg |page = 162 |date = 2007 |isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3 |doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2004 |chapter = (2003) Harding }}</ref>
<ref name="MPC-Harding">{{cite web |title = 2003 Harding (6559 P-L) |work = Minor Planet Center |url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2003 |access-date = 17 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="DoMP-Circular-dates">{{cite book |title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008) |chapter = Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs |last = Schmadel |first=Lutz D. |publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg |page = 221 |isbn = 978-3-642-01964-7 |doi = 10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4}}</ref>
<ref name="MPC-discoverers">{{cite web |title = Minor Planet Discoverers |work = Minor Planet Center |url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/MPDiscsNum.html |date = 24 April 2016 |access-date = 17 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Masiero-2011">{{cite journal |display-authors = 6 |first1 = Joseph R. |last1 = Masiero |first2 = A. K. |last2 = Mainzer |first3 = T. |last3 = Grav |first4 = J. M. |last4 = Bauer |first5 = R. M. |last5 = Cutri |first6 = J. |last6 = Dailey |first7 = P. R. M. |last7 = Eisenhardt |first8 = R. S. |last8 = McMillan |first9 = T. B. |last9 = Spahr |first10 = M. F. |last10 = Skrutskie |first11 = D. |last11 = Tholen |first12 = R. G. |last12 = Walker |first13 = E. L. |last13 = Wright |first14 = E. |last14 = DeBaun |first15 = D. |last15 = Elsbury |first16 = T. IV |last16 = Gautier |first17 = S. |last17 = Gomillion |first18 = A. |last18 = Wilkins |date = November 2011 |title = Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters |url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011ApJ...741...68M |journal = The Astrophysical Journal |volume = 741 |issue = 2 |page = 20 |bibcode = 2011ApJ...741...68M |doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68 |arxiv = 1109.4096 |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="lcdb">{{cite LCDB|number = 2003 |access-date = 17 June 2017}}</ref>
<ref name="Alvarez-2004">{{Cite journal |first1 = Alvaro |last1 = Alvarez-Candal |first2 = René |last2 = Duffard |first3 = Cláudia A. |last3 = Angeli |first4 = Daniela |last4 = Lazzaro |first5 = Silvia |last5 = Fernández |date = December 2004 |title = Rotational lightcurves of asteroids belonging to families |url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2004Icar..172..388A |journal = Icarus |volume = 172 |issue = 2 |pages = 388–401 |bibcode = 2004Icar..172..388A |doi = 10.1016/j.icarus.2004.06.008 |access-date= 17 June 2017}}</ref>
}} <!-- end of reflist -->
== External links == * {{AstDys|2003}} * [https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg Dictionary of Minor Planet Names], Google books * [http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page_cou.html Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR] – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
{{Minor planets navigator |2002 Euler |number=2003 |2004 Lexell}} {{Small Solar System bodies}} {{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Harding}} 002003 Category:Discoveries by Cornelis Johannes van Houten Category:Discoveries by Ingrid van Houten-Groeneveld Category:Discoveries by Tom Gehrels 6559 Category:Named minor planets 19600924