1506 Xosa

Last updated

1506 Xosa
Discovery [1]
Discovered by C. Jackson
Discovery site Johannesburg Obs.
Discovery date15 May 1939
Designations
(1506) Xosa
Named after
 Xhosa people
(Bantu ethnic group) [2]
1939 JC
main-belt  ·(middle) [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 77.97 yr (28,477 days)
Aphelion 3.2408 AU
Perihelion 1.9052 AU
2.5730 AU
Eccentricity 0.2595
4.13 yr (1,507 days)
338.30°
0° 14m 19.68s / day
Inclination 12.550°
234.53°
45.154°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions11.83 km (calculated) [3]
13.963±0.702 km [4]
5.90±0.01 h (dated) [5]
5.9±0.1 h (dated) [6]
292±3 h [7]
298.0659±5.5273 h [8]
0.157±0.037 [4]
0.20 (assumed) [3]
S [3]
11.820±0.003(R) [8]  ·11.90 [4]  ·12.0 [1] [3]

    1506 Xosa, provisional designation 1939 JC, is a stony asteroid and slow rotator from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 13 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 May 1939, by English-born, South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa. [9] It is named for the Xhosa people. [2]

    Contents

    Orbit and classification

    The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–3.2  AU once every 4 years and 2 months (1,507 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 13° with respect to the ecliptic. [1] Xosa's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken and no prior identifications were made. [9]

    Physical characteristics

    Slow rotator

    In Fall 2010, lightcurve photometry by Brian Warner and at the Palomar Transient Factory revealed that Xosa is a slow rotator with a notably long rotation period of 292 and 298 hours and a brightness variation of 0.70 and 0.42 magnitude, respectively ( U=2+/2 ). [7] [8] It also seems to be in a non-principal axis rotation (NPAR), colloquially called as "tumbling". However, observations are insufficient to determine the body's tumbling, or to rule out a non-tumbling state (T0). [7] These observations superseded previous periods obtained in 2001 and 2005 ( U=1/1 ). [5] [6] [10]

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Xosa measures 13.96 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.157, [4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 11.83 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 12.0. [3]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after the Xhosa (formerly spelled "Xosa"), a Bantu ethnic group of native people in south-east South Africa, and who came into early contact with the white settlers. [2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center in April 1953 ( M.P.C. 909). [11]

    Related Research Articles

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1799 Koussevitzky</span>

    1799 Koussevitzky is an asteroid of the Eos family from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 18 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 25 July 1950, by astronomers at Indiana University during the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory in Indiana, United States. The K-type asteroid has a rotation period of 6.3 hours. It was named for Russian conductor Serge Koussevitzky.

    2026 Cottrell, provisional designation 1955 FF, is a dark asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter.

    2114 Wallenquist, provisional designation 1976 HA, is a Themistian asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 28 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Swedish astronomer Claes-Ingvar Lagerkvist at the Australian Mount Stromlo Observatory near Canberra, on 19 April 1976.

    4031 Mueller, provisional designation 1985 CL, is a Hungaria asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 February 1985, by American astronomer Carolyn Shoemaker at Palomar Observatory, California, and named after astronomer Jean Mueller.

    3225 Hoag, provisional designation 1982 QQ, is a dynamical Hungaria asteroid from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 August 1982, by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at the Palomar Observatory in California. The stony S/L-type asteroid has a short rotation period of 2.37 hours. It was named for American astronomer Arthur Hoag.

    5175 Ables, provisional designation 1988 VS4, is a bright Hungaria asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomers Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, on 4 November 1988. It was named after American astronomer Harold Ables.

    1622 Chacornac is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 March 1952, by French astronomer Alfred Schmitt at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, and named after astronomer Jean Chacornac.

    6296 Cleveland, provisional designation 1988 NC, is a Hungaria asteroid from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 July 1988, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California. The presumed E-type asteroid has a long rotation period of 30.8 hours and possibly an elongated shape. It was named for the city of Cleveland in the U.S. state of Ohio.

    2093 Genichesk, provisional designation 1971 HX, is a Baptistina asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 April 1971, by Russian astronomer Tamara Smirnova at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula. It was named for the Ukrainian town Henichesk.

    3800 Karayusuf, provisional designation 1984 AB, is a Mars-crossing asteroid and suspected binary system from inside the asteroid belt, approximately 2.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 January 1984, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California. The S/L-type asteroid has a short rotation period of 2.2 hours. It was named after Syrian physician Alford Karayusuf, a friend of the discoverer.

    1505 Koranna, provisional designation 1939 HH, is a stony Eunomia asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 April 1939, by South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. The asteroid was named for the native Koranna people of South Africa.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1659 Punkaharju</span>

    1659 Punkaharju, provisional designation 1940 YL, is a stony Postremian asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 December 1940, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland. It is named for the municipality of Punkaharju.

    1297 Quadea, provisional designation 1934 AD, is an Eoan asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 23 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 January 1934, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Germany. The asteroid was named for the parents-in-law of the discoverer's brother.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">4606 Saheki</span> Main belt asteroid

    4606 Saheki, provisional designation 1987 UM1, is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter.

    1979 Sakharov, provisionally designated 2006 P-L, is a stony Vestian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered during the Palomar–Leiden survey in 1960, and named after Russian physicist Andrei Sakharov.

    2074 Shoemaker, provisional designation 1974 UA, is a stony Hungaria asteroid, Mars-crosser and suspected synchronous binary system from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 October 1974, by astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory. She named it after American astronomer Eugene Shoemaker.

    1625 The NORC is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 55 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 1 September 1953, by Belgian astronomer Sylvain Arend at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, Belgium. It was named after the IBM Naval Ordnance Research Calculator (NORC).

    4440 Tchantchès, provisional designation 1984 YV, is a rather elongated Hungaria asteroid and a possible binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter.

    (6382) 1988 EL is a stony Hungaria asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 14 March 1988, by American astronomer Jeffrey Alu at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California.

    8026 Johnmckay, provisional designation 1991 JA1, is a binary Hungaria asteroid and very slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 May 1991, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, and later named for NASA test pilot John B. McKay.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1506 Xosa (1939 JC)" (2017-05-02 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 5 June 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1506) Xosa". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1506) Xosa. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 120. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1507. ISBN   978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LCDB Data for (1506) Xosa". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    4. 1 2 3 4 Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv: 1209.5794 . Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8 . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    5. 1 2 Robinson, L. E.; Warner, B. D. (March 2002). "A Collaborative Work on Three Asteroid Lightcurves: 506 Marion, 585 Bilkis, 1506 Xosa". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 29: 6–7. Bibcode:2002MPBu...29....6R . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    6. 1 2 Stecher, George; Ford, Lyle; Bianchi, Natalie; Warner, Brian D.; Robinson, Larry (October 2009). "On the Period of 1506 Xosa". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (4): 138–139. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..138S. ISSN   1052-8091 . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    7. 1 2 3 Warner, Brian D. (April 2011). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Palmer Divide Observatory: 2010 September-December". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 38 (2): 82–86. Bibcode:2011MPBu...38...82W. ISSN   1052-8091 . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    8. 1 2 3 Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv: 1504.04041 . Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75 . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    9. 1 2 "1506 Xosa (1939 JC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    10. ↑ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1506) Xosa". Geneva Observatory . Retrieved 4 January 2017.
    11. ↑ 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.
    This page is based on this Wikipedia article
    Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
    Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.