Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | E. Helin |
Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
Discovery date | 4 October 1986 |
Designations | |
(4209) Briggs | |
Named after | Geoffrey A. Briggs (American space physicist) [2] [3] |
1986 TG4 ·1969 SB 1978 EL8 ·1986 WD5 1989 CO4 | |
main-belt ·(outer) [4] Alauda [5] | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 47.53 yr (17,360 days) |
Aphelion | 3.4213 AU |
Perihelion | 2.8916 AU |
3.1565 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.0839 |
5.61 yr (2,048 days) | |
195.76° | |
0° 10m 32.88s / day | |
Inclination | 21.614° |
330.37° | |
12.512° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 25.39 km (derived) [4] 25.63±2.3 km (IRAS:2) [6] 28.92±0.71 km [7] 29.62±0.61 km [8] 30.895±0.239 km [9] 31.303±0.128 [10] |
12.22±0.02 h [11] 12.235±0.01 h [12] 12.2530±0.0005 h [13] | |
0.067±0.013 [8] 0.0827 (derived) [4] 0.0889±0.0256 [9] 0.093±0.012 [10] 0.103±0.006 [7] 0.1288±0.026(IRAS:2) [6] | |
C [4] | |
10.8 [6] [7] [9] ·11.20 [8] ·11.3 [1] [4] ·11.57±0.42 [14] | |
4209 Briggs, provisional designation 1986 TG4, is a carbonaceous Alauda asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 28 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 October 1986, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. [15] The asteroid was named after American space physicist Geoffrey A. Briggs. [2]
Briggs is a member of the Alauda family ( 902 ), [5] a large family of typically bright carbonaceous asteroids and named after its parent body, 702 Alauda. [16] : 23
It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,048 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic. [1] The first precovery was obtained at El Leoncito in 1969, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 17 years prior to its discovery. [15]
A rotational lightcurves of this asteroid was obtained from photometric observations made by American astronomer Brian Warner at his Palmer Divide Observatory ( 716 ) in September 2003. The revised lightcurve showed a rotation period of 12.22 hours with a brightness variation of 0.45 in magnitude ( U=3- ). [11] A second lightcurve from a collaboration of Czech, American and Italian observatories published in November 2013, gave a period of 12.2530 hours ( U=n/a ). [13]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures between 25.6 and 31.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo in the range of 0.07 to 0.13. [6] [7] [9] [8] [10] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.08 and a diameter of 25.4 kilometer, slightly below the result obtained by IRAS. [4]
This minor planet was named after American space physicist Geoffrey A. Briggs, director of the Solar System Exploration Division at NASA Headquarters during the 1980s. He was instrumental for the formation of the U.S.–Soviet Joint Working Group for Solar System Exploration and became its co-chairman. He was on the imaging teams for the Mariner, Viking and Voyager missions. [3] Briggs continued to promote space-related accomplishments to the public at the Air and Space Museum. [2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 June 1991 ( M.P.C. 18456). [17]
3728 IRAS, provisional designation 1983 QF, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. On 23 August 1983, it was discovered by and later named after IRAS, a spaceborne all-sky infrared survey satellite.
2069 Hubble, provisional designation 1955 FT, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 29 March 1955, by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory, United States, and named after American astronomer Edwin Hubble.
1015 Christa, provisional designation 1924 QF, is a dark background asteroid from the outermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 96 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 31 January 1924, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The meaning of this asteroids's name is unknown.
1069 Planckia, provisional designation 1927 BC, is a background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 39 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 January 1927, by astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Germany. The asteroid was named after German physicist Max Planck.
1043 Beate, provisional designation 1925 HB, is a stony asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory on 22 April 1925. Any reference of its name to a person is unknown.
1092 Lilium, provisional designation 1924 PN, is a dark, carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 44 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 January 1924, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after the flower Lilium.
1132 Hollandia, provisional designation 1929 RB1, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 27 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 13 September 1929, by Dutch astronomer Hendrik van Gent at Leiden Southern Station, annex to the Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa. It was named for the region Holland in the Netherlands.
3037 Alku, provisional designation 1944 BA, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 January 1944, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland.
1333 Cevenola, provisional designation 1934 DA, is a binary Eunomian asteroid from the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 February 1934, by French astronomer Odette Bancilhon at Algiers Observatory, Algeria in Northern Africa. It was named after the French mountain-range Cévennes, via the Occitan feminine adjective/demonym cevenòla.
1241 Dysona, provisional designation 1932 EB1, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 77 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 March 1932, by English astronomer Harry Edwin Wood at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, South Africa. The asteroid was named after English astronomer Frank Watson Dyson.
1384 Kniertje, provisional designation 1934 RX, is a dark Adeonian asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 26 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 after a character in the Dutch play Op Hoop van Zegen by Herman Heijermans.
6255 Kuma, provisional designation 1994 XT, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 December 1994, by Japanese astronomer Akimasa Nakamura at Kuma Kogen Astronomical Observatory on the Island of Shikoku, Japan. It was named after the Japanese town of Kumakōgen.
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.
1436 Salonta, provisional designation 1936 YA, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 60 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by György Kulin at the Konkoly Observatory in 1936, the asteroid was later named for the Romanian city of Salonta, the birthplace of the discoverer.
1266 Tone is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 80 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by astronomer Okuro Oikawa at the Tokyo Observatory in 1927, it was assigned the provisional designation 1927 BD. The asteroid was later named after the Tone River, one of Japan's largest rivers.
1323 Tugela, provisional designation 1934 LD, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 60 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 19 May 1934, by South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. The asteroid was named for the Tugela River in western South Africa.
2120 Tyumenia is a dark background asteroid, approximately 45 kilometers in diameter, located in the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 9 September 1967, by Soviet astronomer Tamara Smirnova at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid was named for the now Russian district of Tyumen Oblast in Western Siberia.
1276 Ucclia is a carbonaceous Alauda asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 31 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 24 January 1933 by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle. Two nights later, the body was independently discovered by Richard Schorr at Bergedorf Observatory in Hamburg, Germany. It was named for the Belgium city of Uccle and its discovering observatory.
1282 Utopia is a dark asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 55 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 August 1933, by South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, and given the provisional designation 1933 QM1. The asteroid was named after the fictional island of Utopia.
1546 Izsák, provisional designation 1941 SG1, is a background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 27 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 September 1941, by Hungarian astronomer György Kulin at the Konkoly Observatory near Budapest, Hungary. The asteroid was named after Hungarian astronomer Imre Izsák.