1082 Pirola /ˈpɪrələ/ is a dark Themistian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 28 October 1927, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Germany, and assigned the provisional designation 1927 UC.[1] The carbonaceous C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 15.9 hours and measures approximately 41 kilometers (25 miles) in diameter. It was named after the herbaceous plant Pyrola (wintergreen).[3]

1082 Pirola
Modelled shape of Pirola from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byK. Reinmuth
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date28 October 1927
Designations
(1082) Pirola
Pronunciation/ˈpɪrələ/[2]
Named after
Pyrola (wintergreen)
(herbaceous plant)[3]
1927 UC · 1931 JQ
1951 AH · 1952 DS
1971 YJ · A916 UP
main-belt[1][4] · (outer)
Themis[5][6][7]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc90.01 yr (32,875 days)
Aphelion3.6858 AU
Perihelion2.5553 AU
3.1205 AU
Eccentricity0.1811
5.51 yr (2,013 days)
130.74°
0° 10m 43.68s / day
Inclination1.8524°
148.01°
187.23°
Physical characteristics
37.363±1.036 km[8]
39.14±13.91 km[9]
41.47±12.07 km[10]
42.607±0.476 km[11]
42.61±0.48 km[11]
44.67±0.71 km[12]
15.85±0.01 h[13]
15.851±0.0140 h[14]
15.8525±0.0005 h[15]
15.8540±0.0001 h[16]
  • (123.0°, −42.0°) (λ11)[6]
  • (300.0°, −38.0°) (λ22)[6]
0.052±0.006[17]
0.06±0.05[9][10]
0.061±0.002[12]
0.067±0.008[11]
0.0867±0.0105[8]
10.4[1][4][8][9][11][12] · 10.450±0.002 (R)[14] · 10.507±0.014[15] · 10.51[5] · 10.53[10]

Orbit and classification

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When applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements, Pirola is a Themistian asteroid that belongs to the Themis family (602),[18][6][7] a large family of nearly 6,000 known carbonaceous asteroids, named after 24 Themis.[19]: 23  It orbits the Sun in the outer main belt at a distance of 2.6–3.7 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,013 days; semi-major axis of 3.12 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[4] The asteroid was first identified as A916 UP at Simeiz Observatory in October 1916. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Heidelberg in October 1927.[1]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after Pyrola, also known as wintergreen, a herbaceous plant (mostly evergreen), that belongs to the flowering herbs. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 102).[3]

Reinmuth's flowers

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Karl Reinmuth submitted a large list of 66 newly named asteroids in the early 1930s. The list covered his discoveries with numbers between (1009) and (1200). This list also contained a sequence of 28 asteroids, starting with 1054 Forsytia, that were all named after plants, in particular flowering plants (also see list of minor planets named after animals and plants).[20] (Unusually the Pirola has lent its name to a COVID-19 variant: BA.2.86.[21])

Physical characteristics

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In the Tholen classification, Pirola is a carbonaceous C-type asteroid,[4][5] which matches the overall spectral type of the Themis family.[19]: 23 

Rotation period

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In 2010, three rotational lightcurves of Pirola were obtained from photometric observations. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 15.85, 15.851 and 15.8525 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.53 and 0.62 magnitude (U=3-/2/3).[13][14][15]

A 2016-published lightcurve, using modeled photometric data from the Lowell Photometric Database, gave a concurring period of 15.8540 hours, as well as two spin axis of (123.0°, −42.0°) and (300.0°, −38.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[16]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Pirola measures between 37.363 and 44.67 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.052 and 0.0867.[8][9][10][11][12][17] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0655 and a diameter of 41.06 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.51.[5]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "1082 Pirola (1927 UC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  2. ^ "pyrola, pirola". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1082) Pirola". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 92. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1083. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1082 Pirola (1927 UC)" (2017-10-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e "LCDB Data for (1082) Pirola". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 28 November 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d "Asteroid 1082 Pirola – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
  7. ^ a b Zappalà, V.; Bendjoya, Ph.; Cellino, A.; Farinella, P.; Froeschle, C. (1997). "Asteroid Dynamical Families". NASA Planetary Data System: EAR-A-5-DDR-FAMILY-V4.1. Retrieved 4 March 2020.} (PDS main page)
  8. ^ a b c d 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.
  9. ^ 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.
  10. ^ 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.
  11. ^ a b c d e 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.
  12. ^ 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)
  13. ^ a b Gartrelle, Gordon M. (April 2012). "Lightcurve Results for Eleven Asteroids". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (2): 40%–46. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39...40G. ISSN 1052-8091.
  14. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75.
  15. ^ a b c Baker, Ronald E.; Pilcher, Frederick; Benishek, Vladimir (April 2011). "Photometric Observations and Analysis of 1082 Pirola". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 38 (2): 111–114. Bibcode:2011MPBu...38..111B. ISSN 1052-8091.
  16. ^ a b Durech, J.; Hanus, J.; Oszkiewicz, D.; Vanco, R. (March 2016). "Asteroid models from the Lowell photometric database". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 587: 6. arXiv:1601.02909. Bibcode:2016A&A...587A..48D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527573.
  17. ^ a b 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.
  18. ^ "Asteroid 1082 Pirola – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 13 March 2020.
  19. ^ a b Nesvorný, D.; Broz, M.; Carruba, V. (December 2014). "Identification and Dynamical Properties of Asteroid Families". Asteroids IV. pp. 297–321. arXiv:1502.01628. Bibcode:2015aste.book..297N. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch016. ISBN 9780816532131.
  20. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1054) Forsytia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 90. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1055. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  21. ^ "What we know about the new COVID strain nicknamed after an asteroid". 19 August 2023 – via www.abc.net.au.
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