1997 Leverrier (prov. designation: 1963 RC) is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 14 September 1963, by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, United States, and named after French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier.[2][6] The asteroid has a rotation period of 6.8 hours and measures approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in diameter
_Leverrier.png) Leverrier modeled from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana University (Indiana Asteroid Program) |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 14 September 1963 |
| Designations | |
| (1997) Leverrier | |
Named after | Urbain Le Verrier (mathematician)[2] |
| 1963 RC · 1940 SF 1950 TS3 · 1953 QB 1973 SX4 · 1973 UF | |
| main-belt · Flora[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 66.72 yr (24,370 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.6660 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7520 AU |
| 2.2090 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2069 |
| 3.28 yr (1,199 days) | |
| 153.46° | |
| 0° 18m 0.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.0689° |
| 353.22° | |
| 0.6461° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 6.81±0.7 km (IRAS:2)[4] 6.83 km (derived)[3] | |
| 8.01532±0.00001 h[5] | |
| 0.1662±0.040 (IRAS:2)[4] 0.1811 (derived)[3] | |
| S[3] | |
| 13.3[1][3] | |
Classification and orbit
editLeverrier is an S-type asteroid and member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,199 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It was first observed as 1940 SF at the Abastuman Observatory (119) in Georgia on 28 September 1940. Its first used observation was made at Palomar Observatory in 1950, extending the body's observation arc by 13 years prior to the official discovery observation.[6]
Naming
editThis minor planet was named after French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier (1811–1877). In 1846, he predicted the existence and position of the planet Neptune by applying the mathematics of celestial mechanics. The Martian and lunar craters Le Verrier are also named in his honor.[2] Its name was suggested by MPC-director Brian G. Marsden, after whom the minor planet 1877 Marsden is named.[7] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4237).[8]
Physical characteristics
editIn March 2016, a modeled rotation period for Leverrier was published using data from the Lowell Photometric Database (LPD). Using lightcurve inversion and convex shape models, as well as distributed computing power and the help of individual volunteers, a period of 8.015 hours could be obtained for this asteroid from the LPD's sparse-in-time photometry data (U=n.a.).[5]
According to the survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, Leverrier measures 6.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.166.[4] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.181 and a concurring diameter of 6.8 kilometers, with an absolute magnitude of 13.3.[3] When using a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, its mean diameter is between 6 and 14 kilometers for an assumed albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[9]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1997 Leverrier (1963 RC)" (2017-05-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
- ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1997) Leverrier". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 162. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1998. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1997) Leverrier". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ a b c Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System – IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
- ^ 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. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ a b "1997 Leverrier (1963 RC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
- ^ Johnson, H. R. (January 1979). "Goethe Link Observatory, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. Report". Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society. 11: 141–144. Bibcode:1979BAAS...11..141J.
- ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.
- ^ "Asteroid Size Estimator". CNEOS NASA/JPL. Retrieved 21 October 2019.
External links
edit- Lightcurve Database Query (LCDB), at www.minorplanet.info
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Geneva Observatory, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 1997 Leverrier at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 1997 Leverrier at the JPL Small-Body Database
