1039 Sonneberga, provisional designation 1924 TL, is a dark background asteroid, approximately 34 kilometers (21 miles) in diameter, located in the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 24 November 1924, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany.[13] The asteroid was named for the German city of Sonneberg, where the Sonneberg Observatory is located.[2]

1039 Sonneberga
Shape model of Sonneberga from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byM. F. Wolf
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date24 November 1924
Designations
(1039) Sonneberga
Named after
Sonneberg (German city and its local observatory)[2]
1924 TL · 1942 XG
1984 OK
main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc92.34 yr (33,728 days)
Aphelion2.8387 AU
Perihelion2.5213 AU
2.6800 AU
Eccentricity0.0592
4.39 yr (1,603 days)
281.23°
0° 13m 28.56s / day
Inclination4.5557°
221.73°
327.56°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions30.17±8.55 km[4]
33.853±0.294 km[5]
33.919±0.128 km[6]
33.99±0.72 km[7]
34.32±7.47 km[8]
36.60 km (derived)[3]
36.70±1.4 km[9]
34.2±0.03 h[10]
0.0331 (derived)[3]
0.042±0.009[5]
0.0430±0.0081[6]
0.0476±0.004[9]
0.05±0.02[8]
0.05±0.03[4]
0.053±0.005[11]
0.059±0.003[7]
SMASS = X[1] · P[6] · C[3]
11.1[6][7][9] · 11.40[5][8] · 11.47±0.27[12] · 11.5[1][3] · 11.59[4]

Orbit and classification

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Sonneberga orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.5–2.8 AU once every 4 years and 5 months (1,603 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.06 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.[13]

Naming

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This minor planet was named for the city of Sonneberg, Thuringia in Germany and location of the Sonneberg Observatory.[2] It was founded in 1925 by astronomer Cuno Hoffmeister after whom the minor planets 1726 Hoffmeister and 4183 Cuno are named. The official naming citation was also mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 99).[2]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS classification, Sonneberga is an X-type asteroid.[1] It has also been characterized as a very dark P-type asteroid by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.[6]

Rotation period

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In March 2005, a rotational lightcurve of Sonneberga was obtained by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi. Lightcurve analysis gave a longer-than average rotation period of 34.2 hours with a brightness variation of 0.41 magnitude (U=2).[10]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the NEOWISE mission of the WISE space-telescope, Sonneberga measures between 30.17 and 36.70 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.042 and 0.059.[4][5][6][7][8][9] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derived an albedo of 0.033 and a diameter of 36.60 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 11.5.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1039 Sonneberga (1924 TL)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c d Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1039) Sonneberga". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1039) Sonneberga. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 89. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1040. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1039) Sonneberga". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Kramer, E. A.; Grav, T.; et al. (September 2016). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year Two: Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (3): 12. arXiv:1606.08923. Bibcode:2016AJ....152...63N. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/3/63.
  5. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e f Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. S2CID 35447010.
  7. ^ a b c d Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  8. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. S2CID 9341381. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  10. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1039) Sonneberga". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  11. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. S2CID 119293330. Retrieved 26 January 2017.
  12. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
  13. ^ a b "1039 Sonneberga (1924 TL)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 February 2017.
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