11264 Claudiomaccone (provisional designation 1979 UC4) is a stony background asteroid and binary system from the middle regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered 16 October 1979, by Nikolai Chernykh at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula.[11] It was named after the Italian astronomer Claudio Maccone.[2]

11264 Claudiomaccone
Discovery[1]
Discovered byN. Chernykh
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date16 October 1979
Designations
11264 Claudiomaccone
Named after
Claudio Maccone
(Italian astronomer)[2]
1979 UC4 · 1989 EC10
1991 PD14
main-belt · ((central))
background
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc66.27 yr (24,204 days)
Aphelion3.1793 AU
Perihelion1.9775 AU
2.5784 AU
Eccentricity0.2331
4.14 yr (1,512 days)
21.409°
0° 14m 17.16s / day
Inclination3.5229°
11.129°
57.936°
Known satellites1[3][4][5]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions3.203±0.295 km[6][7]
4.30 km (calculated)[3]
3.18701±0.00005 h[8]
3.1872±0.0006 h[5]
3.1872 h[9]
3.1873±0.0001 h[8]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
0.432±0.094[6][7]
V–R = 0.520±0.035[4][5]
S[3] · S/Q[5]
14.0[6] · 14.2[1][3] · 14.3[5] · 14.44±0.25[10]

Orbit and classification

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Claudiomaccone orbits the Sun in the (central) main-belt at a distance of 2.0–3.2 AU once every 4 years and 2 months (1,512 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.23 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Claudiomaccone comes closer to Mars than to the other planets, repeatedly approaching the Red Planet as close as 0.47 AU (70,300,000 km). In 2096 it makes a very rare approach to 65 Gm.[citation needed]

A first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory in 1950, extending the body's observation arc by 29 years prior to its official discovery observation.[11]

Physical characteristics

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Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Claudiomaccone measures 3.203 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.432,[6][7] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony S-type asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 4.30 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 14.2.[3]

Photometry

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In November 2004, a rotational lightcurve of Claudiomaccone was obtained from photometric observations by Ukrainian astronomer Yurij N. Krugly, using the 0.7-meter telescope at Chuguev Observation Station (121) and the 1-meter telescope at Simeiz Observatory. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.1872 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.15 magnitude (U=n.a.).[5] An identical period with an amplitude of 0.12 magnitude, was also published by Petr Pravec in 2006.[9]

After the binary nature of Claudiomaccone was announced (see below), follow-up observations by a group of French, Swiss and Italian astronomers (including Claudio Maccone) in 2008 and 2012, gave a period 3.1873 and 3.18701 hours with an amplitude of 0.16 and 0.12 magnitude, respectively (U=2/2+).[8]

Satellite

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The obtained photometric observations from 2004, also revealed that Claudiomaccone is an asynchronous binary system with a minor-planet moon orbiting it every 15.11 hours.[5] An identical orbital period is also given by Pravec.[9] The discovery was announced in December 2005, and the moon was provisionally designated S/2003 (11264) 1.[4]

Based on a secondary to primary mean-diameter ratio of larger than 0.31, the moon's diameter is estimated to be at least 1.24 kilometers. Its orbit around Claudiomaccone has an estimated semi-major axis of 6 kilometers.[4][5]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after Claudio Maccone (born 1948), an Italian SETI astronomer and space scientist at Thales Alenia Space in Turin, Italy. In his book The Sun as a Gravitational Lens: Proposed Space Missions he proposed the construction and launch of a spacecraft–antenna, called the FOCAL space mission. Outside the Solar System, at a distance of 550 AU, FOCAL could have a significantly better sensitivity detecting radio signals due to the Sun's magnifying gravitational lensing effect, as predicted by general relativity.[2] The official naming citation was published on 2 September 2001 (M.P.C. 43382; 54279 and *35557).[12] In 2012, he succeed American astronomer Seth Shostak as chairman of the SETI Permanent Committee at the International Academy of Astronautics.

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 11264 Claudiomaccone (1979 UC4)" (2016-11-19 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 13 April 2017. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(11264) Claudiomaccone [2.58, 0.23, 3.5]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (11264) Claudiomaccone, Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 61. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_551. ISBN 978-3-540-34361-5.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (11264) Claudiomaccone". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Johnston, Robert (21 September 2014). "(11264) Claudiomaccone". johnstonsarchive.net. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h Krugly, Yu. N.; Maccone, C.; Gaftonyuk, N. M.; Lupishko, D. F.; Shevchenko, V. G.; Velichko, F. P. (March 2007). "11 264 Claudiomaccone: Small binary main-belt asteroid". Planetary and Space Science. 55 (4): 449–454. Bibcode:2007P&SS...55..449K. doi:10.1016/j.pss.2006.09.006. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  8. ^ a b c Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (11264) Claudiomaccone". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  9. ^ a b c Pravec, P.; Scheirich, P.; Kusnirák, P.; Sarounová, L.; Mottola, S.; Hahn, G.; et al. (March 2006). "Photometric survey of binary near-Earth asteroids". Icarus. 181 (1): 63–93. Bibcode:2006Icar..181...63P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2005.10.014. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  10. ^ 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. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  11. ^ a b "11264 Claudiomaccone (1979 UC4)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
  12. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 12 April 2017.
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