2035 Stearns

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2035 Stearns
Discovery [1]
Discovered by J. B. Gibson
Discovery site El Leoncito Complex
Discovery date21 September 1973
Designations
(2035) Stearns
Named after
 Carl Leo Stearns [1]
(American astronomer)
1973 SC ·1973 UG
Mars-crosser [2]
Hungaria [1] [3]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 44.35 yr (16,199 d)
Aphelion 2.1317 AU
Perihelion 1.6366 AU
1.8841 AU
Eccentricity 0.1314
2.59 yr (945 d)
134.07°
0° 22m 51.96s / day
Inclination 27.751°
77.035°
200.71°
Earth  MOID 0.6305 AU (245 LD)
Mars  MOID 0.1655 AU
Physical characteristics
4.82±0.52  km [4]
5.28 km(derived) [3]
6.00±1.20 km [5]
51.89±0.20  h [6]
85±0.1 h [7]
93±1 h [8] [a]
0.40(assumed) [3]
0.443±0.177 [5]
0.65±0.30 [4]
Tholen = E [2]
SMASS = X e [2] [3] [9]
B–V = 0.737 [2]
U–B = 0.280 [2]
V–R = 0.440 [7]
12.61 [2] [4] [5]
13.0 [3] [10]

    2035 Stearns, provisional designation 1973 SC, is a bright Hungaria asteroid and sizable Mars-crosser inside the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 21 September 1973, by American astronomer James Gibson at the Leoncito Astronomical Complex in Argentina. [1] The transitional E-type asteroid has a long rotation period of 93 hours. [3] It was named after American astronomer Carl Leo Stearns. [1]

    Contents

    Orbit and classification

    Stearns is a dynamical Hungaria asteroid, a large group that forms the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in the Solar System. [1] [3] It is also a Mars-crossing asteroid, a member of the dynamically unstable group, located between the main belt and near-Earth populations, and crossing the orbit of Mars at 1.666  AU. [2]

    The asteroid orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.64–2.13  AU once every 2 years and 7 months (945 days; semi-major axis of 1.88 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 28° with respect to the ecliptic. [2]

    The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in January 1954, nearly 20 years prior to its official discovery observation at Leoncito. [1]

    Physical characteristics

    In the Tholen classification, Stearns is a bright E-type asteroid. [2] while in the SMASS classification and Bus-DeMeo taxonomy, it is an Xe-subtype that transitions from the X-type to the E-type. [9]

    Rotation period

    Several rotational lightcurve of Stearns have been obtained from photometric observations since 1988. [6] [7] [8] Analysis of the best-rated lightcurve by Robert Stephens at the Center for Solar System Studies ( U81 ) gave a rotation period of 93 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 magnitude ( U=2+ ). This makes the asteroid as close slow rotator. [3] [a]

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Stearns measures between 4.82 and 6.00 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.443 and 0.65. [4] [5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for members of the Hungaria family of 0.40, and derives a diameter of 5.28 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 13.0. [3]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after Carl Leo Stearns (1892–1972), American astronomer at Wesleyan University and Van Vleck Observatory who measured a large number of stellar parallaxes. [1] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 November 1978 ( M.P.C. 4548). [11] The lunar crater Stearns was also named in his honor.

    Notes

    1. 1 2 Lightcurve plot of (2035) Stearns with a rotation period 93±1 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 mag. Taken by Robert Stephens at the Center for Solar System Studies (CS3) in 2014. Quality code is 2+. Summary figures at the LCDB.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "2035 Stearns (1973 SC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
    2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2035 Stearns (1973 SC)" (2018-01-27 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 25 May 2018.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 "LCDB Data for (2035) Stearns". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 25 May 2018.
    4. 1 2 3 4 Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv: 1509.02522 . Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117.
    5. 1 2 3 4 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.
    6. 1 2 Warner, Brian D. (July 2011). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Palmer Divide Observatory: 2010 December- 2011 March". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 38 (3): 142–149. Bibcode:2011MPBu...38..142W. ISSN   1052-8091.
    7. 1 2 3 Shevchenko, V. G.; Krugly, Yu. N.; Chiorny, V. G.; Belskaya, I. N.; Gaftonyuk, N. M. (August 2003). "Rotation and photometric properties of E-type asteroids". Planetary and Space Science. 51 (9–10): 525–532. Bibcode:2003P&SS...51..525S. doi:10.1016/S0032-0633(03)00076-X.
    8. 1 2 Stephens, Robert D. (October 2014). "Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2014 April-June". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 41 (4): 226–230. Bibcode:2014MPBu...41..226S. ISSN   1052-8091.
    9. 1 2 "Asteroid 2035 Stearns". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 25 May 2018.
    10. ↑ Wisniewski, W. Z.; Michalowski, T. M.; Harris, A. W.; McMillan, R. S. (March 1995). "Photoelectric Observations of 125 Asteroids". Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 26: 1511. Bibcode:1995LPI....26.1511W.
    11. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. Bibcode:2009dmpn.book.....S. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN   978-3-642-01964-7.


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