3343 Nedzel, provisional designation 1982 HS, is an asteroid and sizable Mars-crosser on an eccentric orbit from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 April 1982, by astronomer Laurence Taff at the Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site in Socorro, New Mexico, in the United States.[3] The asteroid was named in memory of Alexander Nedzel, a manager at MIT Lincoln Laboratory.[2]

3343 Nedzel
Discovery [1]
Discovered byL. G. Taff
Discovery siteLincoln Lab's ETS
Discovery date28 April 1982
Designations
(3343) Nedzel
Named after
V. Alexander Nedzel [2]
(manager at Lincoln Lab)
1982 HS
Mars-crosser[1][3][4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc34.91 yr (12,750 days)
Aphelion3.0816 AU
Perihelion1.6170 AU
2.3493 AU
Eccentricity0.3117
3.60 yr (1,315 days)
264.02°
0° 16m 25.32s / day
Inclination25.011°
43.460°
229.71°
Earth MOID0.6811 AU · 265.3 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5.18±1.09 km[5]
6.21±0.62 km[6]
6.81 km (calculated)[4]
5.4620±0.0005 h[7]
0.20 (assumed)[4]
0.264±0.053[6]
0.29±0.11[5]
S(SDSS-MFB)[4]
13.10[6] · 13.2[1][4] · 13.49[5]

Orbit and classification

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Nedzel is a Mars-crossing asteroid, a member of a dynamically unstable group, located between the main belt and the near-Earth populations, and crossing the orbit of Mars at 1.666 AU. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.6–3.1 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,315 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.31 and an inclination of 25° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Lincoln Lab ETS.[3]

Physical characteristics

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Nedzel has been characterized as a common, stony S-type asteroid by SDSS-MFB (Masi Foglia Bus).[4]

Rotation period

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In July 2011, a rotational lightcurve of Nedzel was obtained from photometric observations at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09) in Australia. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 5.4620 hours with a high brightness variation of 0.56 magnitude (U=3).[7] A high brightness amplitude is indicative for an elongated rather than spherical shape.

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Nedzel measures 5.18 and 6.21 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.29 and 0.264, respectively.[5][6]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 6.81 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 13.2.[4]

With a diameter close to 6.5 kilometers, Nedzel is somewhat smaller than the largest sizable Mars-crossing asteroids such as 1065 Amundsenia (9.75 km), 1139 Atami (9.35 km), 1508 Kemi (17 km), 1011 Laodamia (7.4 km), 1727 Mette (est. 9 km), 1131 Porzia (7 km), 1235 Schorria (est. 9 km), 985 Rosina (8 km) 1310 Villigera (15 km), and 1468 Zomba (7 km); and significantly smaller than the largest members of this dynamical group, namely, 132 Aethra, 323 Brucia, 2204 Lyyli and 512 Taurinensis, which are all larger than 20 kilometers in diameter.

Naming

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This minor planet was named in memory of V. Alexander Nedzel (died 1984), head of MIT Lincoln Laboratory's Aerospace Division and supporter of the "Lincoln Laboratory Earth-Approaching Asteroid Search", presumably a precursor of the Lincoln Near-Earth Asteroid Research.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 June 1986 (M.P.C. 10849).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3343 Nedzel (1982 HS)" (2017-03-25 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3343) Nedzel". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3343) Nedzel. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 279. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3344. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c "3343 Nedzel (1982 HS)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (3343) Nedzel". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ a b c d Alí-Lagoa, V.; Delbo', M. (July 2017). "Sizes and albedos of Mars-crossing asteroids from WISE/NEOWISE data". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 603: 8. arXiv:1705.10263. Bibcode:2017A&A...603A..55A. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629917. S2CID 119224590. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  7. ^ a b Folberth, James; Casimir, Serick; Dou, Yueheng; Evans, Davis; Foulkes, Thomas; Haenftling, Miranda; et al. (April 2012). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory: 2011 July-September". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (2): 51–55. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39...51F. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 27 October 2017.
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