![]() Shape model of Nancita from its lightcurve | |
Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | E. Helin |
Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
Discovery date | 13 March 1988 |
Designations | |
(4222) Nancita | |
Named after | Nancy Coker Helin (discoverer's family) [2] |
1988 EK1 ·1950 TF4 1952 HN ·1968 QL1 1972 XQ1 ·1979 SL6 1983 XC1 ·1988 KL | |
Mars-crosser ex main-belt ·(inner) | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 48.77 yr (17,813 days) |
Aphelion | 3.0666 AU |
Perihelion | 1.6705 AU |
2.3685 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.2947 |
3.65 yr (1,331 days) | |
104.75° | |
0° 16m 13.44s / day | |
Inclination | 3.7412° |
206.85° | |
217.61° | |
Mars MOID | 0.1710 AU |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 8.47±0.8 km (IRAS:11) [3] 9.14±0.71 km [4] 9.636±0.121 [5] 9.707±0.215 km [6] |
3.8732±0.0003 h [7] | |
0.2057±0.0073 [6] 0.209±0.013 [5] 0.232±0.038 [4] 0.2703±0.061(IRAS:11) [3] | |
SMASS = S [1] [8] | |
12.3 [1] ·12.4 [8] [3] [4] [6] | |
4222 Nancita (prov. designation: 1988 EK1) is a bright background asteroid and upcoming Mars-crosser on an eccentric orbit from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 13 March 1988, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory in California, United States. [9] The S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 3.9 hours and measures approximately 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) in diameter. It was named after the discoverer's daughter-in-law, Nancy Coker Helin.
Nancita is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements. It will become a Mars-crossing asteroid in June 2019. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.7–3.1 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,331 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.29 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic. [1] The asteroid was first observed as 1950 TF4 at McDonald Observatory in 1950. Its observation arc begins at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1968, when it observed as 1968 QL1, or 20 years prior to its official discovery observation at Palomar. [9]
This minor planet was named in honor of Nancy Coker Helin, daughter-in-law of the discoverer, and wife to Bruce Helin, after whom the minor planet 2430 Bruce Helin had previously been named. Nancy is described by the discoverer as a talented singer, composer and teacher, who has brought music and joy to her family. [2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 December 1990 ( M.P.C. 17466). [10]
In the SMASS classification, Nancita is a common S-type asteroid. [1]
A rotational lightcurve of Nancita, obtained from photometric observations at the Australian Hunters Hill Observatory ( E14 ) and collaborating stations in 2006, gave a well-defined rotation period of 3.8732 hours with a high brightness amplitude of 0.97 in magnitude ( U=3 ), indicating that the body has a non-spheroidal shape. [7]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Nancita measures between 8.5 and 9.7 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo in the range of 0.21 to 0.27. [3] [4] [5] [6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the results obtained by IRAS. [8]
1695 Walbeck, provisional designation 1941 UO, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1941, by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland, and named after Henrik Walbeck.
Abnoba, provisional designation 1900 FH, is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 June 1900, by astronomers Max Wolf and Arnold Schwassmann at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after the Celtic deity Abnoba.
1743 Schmidt, provisional designation 4109 P-L, is a dark background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered during the Palomar–Leiden survey on 24 September 1960, by astronomers Ingrid and Cornelis van Houten at Leiden, on photographic plates taken by Tom Gehrels at Palomar Observatory in California. The C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 17.5 hours. It was named for the optician Bernhard Schmidt.
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.
1178 Irmela, provisional designation 1931 EC, is a stony asteroid from the middle regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter.
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.
1074 Beljawskya, provisional designation 1925 BE, is a Themistian asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 48 kilometers in diameter.
1096 Reunerta, provisional designation 1928 OB, is an asteroid from the background population of the asteroid belt's central region, approximately 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 July 1928, by astronomer Harry Edwin Wood at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg, South Africa. The asteroid was named after South African engineer Theodore Reunert, supporter of the observatory and friend of the discoverer.
1118 Hanskya is a large background asteroid, approximately 77 kilometers in diameter, located in the outer regions of the asteroid belt. Discovered by Sergey Belyavsky and Nikolaj Ivanov in 1927, it was named after Russian astronomer Aleksey Hansky. The presumed dark C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 15.6 hours.
6349 Acapulco, provisional designation 1995 CN1, is a dark Adeonian asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter.
2430 Bruce Helin is a stony Phocaea asteroid and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by American astronomers Eleanor Helin and Eugene Shoemaker at the U.S. Palomar Observatory in California, on 8 November 1977. It was later named after Bruce Helin, son of the first discoverer. The S-type asteroid (Sl) has an exceptionally long rotation period of 128 hours and measures approximately 12 kilometers in diameter.
2054 Gawain, provisional designation 4097 P-L, is a dark and elongated asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. Discovered during the Palomar–Leiden survey at Palomar Observatory in 1960, the asteroid was later named after Gawain, a knight of King Arthur's Round Table in the Arthurian legend.
2140 Kemerovo, provisional designation 1970 PE, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter.
1284 Latvia, provisional designation 1933 OP, is a rare-type asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 37 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 July 1933, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany, and named after the Republic of Latvia.
3406 Omsk, provisional designation 1969 DA, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 February 1969, by Soviet astronomer Bella Burnasheva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory on the Crimean peninsula in Nauchnij. The possibly metallic M/X-type asteroid has a rotation period of 7.3 hours. It was named for the Russia city of Omsk.
1444 Pannonia is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 29 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 January 1938, by Hungarian astronomer György Kulin at Konkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary. It was named after the ancient province of the Roman Empire, Pannonia.
4790 Petrpravec is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 August 1988, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California, and later named for Czech astronomer Petr Pravec.
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.
2111 Tselina is a stony Eos asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 13 June 1969, by Soviet astronomer Tamara Smirnova at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij, on the Crimean peninsula. The S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 6.6 hours and measures approximately 23 kilometers in diameter. It was later named after the Soviet Virgin Lands Campaign.
1481 Tübingia, provisional designation 1938 DR, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 34 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 February 1938, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany, and named for the German city of Tübingen.