Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | R. Carrasco |
Discovery site | Madrid Obs. |
Discovery date | 16 December 1935 |
Designations | |
(1644) Rafita | |
Named after | Rafael Carrasco (discoverer's son) [2] |
1935 YA ·1939 XA 1941 JB ·1949 JC 1951 VF ·1955 TS 1957 GD ·1959 UD A906 RB ·A916 BA | |
main-belt ·(middle) [3] Rafita-interloper [4] : 23 | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 110.53 yr (40,371 days) |
Aphelion | 2.9426 AU |
Perihelion | 2.1539 AU |
2.5483 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1548 |
4.07 yr (1,486 days) | |
13.784° | |
0° 14m 32.28s / day | |
Inclination | 7.0193° |
270.90° | |
197.05° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 13.958±0.157 km [5] 15.405±0.072 km [6] 15.48 km (taken) [3] 15.482 km [7] 17.69±1.08 km [8] |
5.100±0.002 h [9] 6.800±0.004 h [10] | |
0.106±0.014 [8] 0.1329 [7] 0.1403±0.0148 [6] 0.164±0.028 [5] | |
Tholen = S [1] [3] B–V = 0.867 [1] U–B = 0.404 [1] | |
11.82 [1] [6] [8] ·11.82±0.21 [11] ·11.86±0.02 [3] [7] [9] | |
1644 Rafita, provisional designation 1935 YA, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It is the namesake of the Rafita family, a family of stony asteroids in the intermediate main-belt. However, Rafita is a suspected interloper in its own family. [4] : 23 It was discovered on 16 December 1935, by Spanish astronomer Rafael Carrasco Garrorena at the Royal Observatorio Astronómico de Madrid in Spain, and named in memory of the discoverer's son. [2] [12]
Rafita asteroid orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,486 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic. [1] Rafita was first observed as A906 RB at Heidelberg Observatory in 1906, extending the body's observation arc by 29 years prior to its official discovery observation. [12]
Rafita's first rotational lightcurve was obtained by American astronomer Alan Harris of JPL in January 1981. It gave a rotation period of 5.100 hours with a brightness variation of 0.31 magnitude ( U=2 ). [9] Photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi in December 2004, gave a period of 6.800 hours and an amplitude of 0.13 magnitude ( U=2 ). [10]
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Rafita measures between 13.96 and 17.69 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.106 and 0.164. [5] [6] [8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with Petr Pravec's revised WISE-results, that is an albedo of 0.1329 and a diameter of 15.482 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 11.86. [3] [7]
This minor planet was named by the discoverer in honor of his late son, Rafael Carrasco. [2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 January 1964 ( M.P.C. 2277). [13]
1018 Arnolda, provisional designation 1924 QM, is a stony asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 3 March 1924, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after physicist Arnold Berliner.
1039 Sonneberga, provisional designation 1924 TL, is a dark background asteroid, approximately 34 kilometers in diameter, located in the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 24 November 1924, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named for the German city of Sonneberg, where the Sonneberg Observatory is located.
1042 Amazone, provisional designation 1925 HA, is a dark asteroid and slow rotator in the outer asteroid belt, approximately 70 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 April 1925, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany. It is named after the Amazons from Greek mythology.
1059 Mussorgskia, provisional designation 1925 OA, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 25 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 19 July 1925, by Soviet astronomer Vladimir Albitsky at the Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid was named for Russian composer Modest Mussorgsky. The X- or C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 5.636 hours.
1123 Shapleya, provisional designation 1928 ST, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 September 1928, by Russian astronomer Grigory Neujmin at Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. It was named after American astronomer Harlow Shapley.
1136 Mercedes, provisional designation 1929 UA, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 26 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 October 1929, by Catalan astronomer Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain. The asteroid was named for the sister-in-law of the discoverer.
1213 Algeria, provisional designation 1931 XD, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by Guy Reiss at Algiers Observatory in 1931, it was named after the North African country of Algeria.
2038 Bistro, provisional designation 1973 WF, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid was discovered on 24 November 1973, by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at the Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland. It was named for the Bistro restaurant.
1274 Delportia, provisional designation 1932 WC, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 November 1932, by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte at Uccle Observatory in Belgium. It was named after the discoverer himself.
1736 Floirac, provisional designation 1967 RA, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8.7 kilometer in diameter.
1261 Legia, provisional designation 1933 FB, is a dark Themistian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 23 March 1933, by astronomer Eugène Delporte at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle. The asteroid was named for the Belgian city of Liège (Luke).
1841 Masaryk (prov. designation: 1971 UO1) is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 46 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 26 October 1971, by Czech astronomer Luboš Kohoutek at Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg, Germany. The asteroid was named after the first President of Czechoslovakia, Tomáš Garrigue Masaryk.
3066 McFadden, provisional designation 1984 EO, is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 1 March 1984, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station near Tucson, Arizona. It was named for American planetary scientist Lucy-Ann McFadden. The assumed S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 13.8 hours.
1574 Meyer, provisional designation 1949 FD, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 59 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 March 1949, by French astronomer Louis Boyer at Algiers Observatory in Algeria, northern Africa. It was named after French astronomer M. Georges Meyer.
1258 Sicilia, provisional designation 1932 PG, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 44 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 August 1932, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after the Italian island of Sicily.
2443 Tomeileen, provisional designation A906 BJ, is a stony Eoan asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 24 January 1906, by German astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Heidelberg, Germany. The S-type asteroid was named after the parents of British astronomer Brian G. Marsden. It has a rotation period of 3.97 hours.
1447 Utra, provisional designation 1938 BB, is a stony asteroid, slow rotator and suspected tumbler from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 26 January 1938, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland. The asteroid was named for the Finnish town of Utra.
1336 Zeelandia, provisional designation 1934 RW, is a stony Koronian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 September 1934, by Dutch astronomer Hendrik van Gent at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, South Africa. The asteroid was named for the Dutch province of Zeeland.
1461 Jean-Jacques, provisional designation 1937 YL, is a metallic asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 34 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 December 1937, by French astronomer Marguerite Laugier at Nice Observatory in southern France, who named it after her son Jean-Jacques Laugier.
1535 Päijänne, provisional designation 1939 RC, is an asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 25 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 September 1939, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at the Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland. It was later named for Lake Päijänne.