24101 Cassini

24101 Cassini
Discovery [1]
Discovered by C. W. Juels
Discovery site Fountain Hills Obs.
Discovery date 9 November 1999
Designations
MPC designation 24101 Cassini
Named after
 Giovanni Cassini
(astronomer)[2]
1999 VA9 · 1926 XH
1926 YB · 1986 RS16
1986 TM15
main-belt · (middle) [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 89.88 yr (32,829 days)
Aphelion 3.4628 AU
Perihelion 1.8278 AU
2.6453 AU
Eccentricity 0.3090
4.30 yr (1,571 days)
344.07°
0° 13m 44.76s / day
Inclination 15.474°
176.58°
255.81°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 7.051±0.352 km[4][5]
11.05 km (calculated)[3]
3.986±0.001 h[lower-alpha 1][6]
0.10 (assumed)[3]
0.2458±0.0529[4]
0.246±0.053[5]
S [3]
12.9[1][3][4]
13.05±0.23[7]

    24101 Cassini, provisional designation 1999 VA9, is an eccentric, stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 November 1999, by American amateur astronomer Charles Juels at the U.S. Fountain Hills Observatory (678), Arizona.[8]

    The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–3.5 AU once every 4 years and 4 months (1,571 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.31 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Cassini was first identified as 1926 XH at Heidelberg Observatory in 1926. The first used observation was a precovery obtained at ESO's La Silla Observatory in 1992, which extends Cassini's observation arc by 7 years prior to its official discovery obervation.[8]

    In February 2009, two rotational light-curves were obtained from photometric observations made at the private U.S. Shed of Science Observatory (H39), Minnesota, and by Italian astronomer Silvano Casulli, respectively. The light-curves rendered a well-defined rotation period of 3.986±0.001 hours with a brightness variation of 0.12 magnitude (U=3/-3).[lower-alpha 1][6] According to observations carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 7.1 kilometer in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.25.[4] However, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes an untypically low albedo of only 0.10 and correspondingly, calculates a diameter of 11.1 kilometers, as the lower the body's albedo (reflectivity), the larger its diameter at a constant absolute magnitude (brightness).[3]

    The minor planet was named in honor of Italian-born French astronomer Giovanni Cassini (1625–1712), who was the first director of the Paris Observatory from 1671 until his death. He discovered the four moons of Saturn – Iapetus, Rhea, Tethys and Dione – the major gap in its rings, known as Cassini Division, and was the first to write down observations of the zodiacal light. The Cassini–Huygens spacecraft is named after him and Christiaan Huygens.[2] The lunar and Martian craters Cassini are also named in his honor. Naming citation was published on 21 September 2002 (M.P.C. 46684).[9]

    References

    1. 1 2 Durkee (2011) web: rotation period 3.986±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.12 mag. Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (24101) Cassini and at Shed of Science (S.O.S.) Observatory
    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 24101 Cassini (1999 VA9)" (2016-11-11 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (24101) Cassini. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 873. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LCDB Data for (24101) Cassini". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 17 May 2016.
    4. 1 2 3 4 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:1109.6407Freely accessible. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
    5. 1 2 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:1109.4096Freely accessible. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 2 December 2016.
    6. 1 2 Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (24101) Cassini". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
    7. ↑ 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:1506.00762Freely accessible. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
    8. 1 2 "24101 Cassini (1999 VA9)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 31 January 2016.
    9. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 May 2016.

    External links

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