4606 Saheki
Light-curve based 3D-model of 4606 Saheki | |
Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | T. Seki |
Discovery site | Geisei Obs. |
Discovery date | 27 October 1987 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | 4606 Saheki |
Named after |
Tsuneo Saheki (astronomer)[2] |
1987 UM1 · 1972 GA1 1977 TJ7 · 1977 VF2 1982 FH4 | |
main-belt · Flora [3] | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 62.67 yr (22,889 days) |
Aphelion | 2.4807 AU |
Perihelion | 2.0226 AU |
2.2517 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1017 |
3.38 yr (1,234 days) | |
85.970° | |
0° 17m 29.76s / day | |
Inclination | 2.6336° |
241.26° | |
251.98° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions |
±0.041 km 6.712[4] 7.14 km (calculated)[3] |
±0.003 4.969h[lower-alpha 1] ±0.001 h 5.032[5] 47±0.00005 h 4.973[6] | |
±0.0245 0.3266[4] 0.24 (assumed)[3] | |
S [3] | |
12.7[4] 13.0[1][3] ±0.32 13.35[7] | |
|
4606 Saheki, provisional designation 1987 UM1, is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Japanese astronomer Tsutomu Seki at Geisei Observatory, Japan, on 27 October 1987.[8]
The S-type asteroid is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,234 days). Its orbit hs an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory in 1953, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 34 years prior to its discovery.[8]
In January 2009, a photometric light-curve analysis by David Higgins at Hunters Hill Observatory, Australia, rendered a well-defined rotation period of ±0.003 hours with a brightness variation of 0.56 in 4.969magnitude (U=3).[lower-alpha 1] Two months later, in March 2009, a second light-curve was obtained at the Via Capote Observatory, California, gave a period of ±0.001 and an amplitude of 0.68 in magnitude ( 5.032U=3-).[5] According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid has a high albedo of 0.33 and a diameter of 6.7 kilometers, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) calculates a diameter of 7.1 kilometers, based on an assumed albedo of 0.24, which is identical to the albedo of the Flora family's namesake, the asteroid 8 Flora.[3][4]
The minor planet was named after Japanese astronomer and president of the Toa Astronomical Society, Tsuneo Saheki (1916–1996). Over half a century, he as gathered large inventory of observational data of the planet Mars.[2] The Martian crater Saheki is also named in his honour. Naming citation was published on 28 May 1991 (M.P.C. 18308).[9]
References
- 1 2 Higgins (2011) web: rotation period ±0.003 hours with a brightness amplitude of 4.969 mag. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assigns a quality code of U=3 to the period solution, which denotes a secure result within the precision given and no ambiguity. Summary figures at 0.56Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (4606) Saheki
- 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4606 Saheki (1987 UM1)" (2016-04-16 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4606) Saheki. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 396. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LCDB Data for (4606) Saheki". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- 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:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- 1 2 Brinsfield, James W. (July 2009). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Via Capote Observatory: 2009 1st Quarter". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (3): 127–128. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..127B. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ↑ Hanus, J.; Broz, M.; Durech, J.; Warner, B. D.; Brinsfield, J.; Durkee, R.; et al. (November 2013). "An anisotropic distribution of spin vectors in asteroid families". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 559: 19. arXiv:1309.4296. Bibcode:2013A&A...559A.134H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201321993. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ↑ 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 26 April 2016.
- 1 2 "4606 Saheki (1987 UM1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 January 2016.
- ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 May 2016.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 4606 Saheki at the JPL Small-Body Database