4276 Clifford

Last updated
4276 Clifford
Discovery  [1]
Discovered by E. Bowell
Discovery site Lowell Obs.
Discovery date2 December 1981
Designations
(4276) Clifford
Named after
 Clifford Cunningham (Canadian astronomer) [2]
1981 XA
Mars-crosser   [1] [3]  · main belt
Orbital characteristics   [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 35.67 yr (13,027 days)
Aphelion 2.4195 AU
Perihelion 1.5994 AU
2.0095 AU
Eccentricity 0.2041
2.85 yr (1,040 days)
186.63°
0° 20m 45.6s / day
Inclination 21.033°
76.881°
3.5494°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions4.441±1.128 km [4]
0.142±0.107 [4]
SMASS = C b   [1]
14.6 [1]

    4276 Clifford, provisional designation1981 XA is an asteroid and sizable Mars-crosser from the innermost region of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 2 December 1981, by American astronomers Edward Bowell at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff, United States. The asteroid was named in honor of astronomer and writer Clifford Cunningham. [3]

    Contents

    Orbit and classification

    Clifford is a member of the group of main-belt asteroids known as Mars-crosser asteroids, specifically, it is listed as an Outer-grazer.[ citation needed ] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.6–2.4  AU once every 2 years and 10 months (1,040 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 21° with respect to the ecliptic. [1]

    Physical characteristics

    In the SMASS classification, Clifford is a Cb-type, which transitions from the carbonaceous C-type asteroids to the rare B-type asteroids. [1]

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Clifford measures 4.441 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.142. [4] As of 2017, no rotational lightcurve has been obtained of Clifford. Its rotation period and shape remain unknown. [5]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after Canadian astronomer and author Clifford Cunningham, who is best known for his 1988 published book Introduction to Asteroids and 5-volume history of asteroid studies published by Springer in 2016 and 2017. He received his Ph.D. in the history of astronomy in 2015. His astronomical work includes astrometry and photometry of minor planets. [2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 April 1990 ( M.P.C. 16248). [6]

    Related Research Articles

    1049 Gotho, provisional designation 1925 RB, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 53 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 14 September 1925, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. Although the name of the asteroid is a masculine German name, it is not known to refer to a particular individual.

    1151 Ithaka, provisional designation 1929 RK, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 14 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in 1929, and later named for the Greek island of Ithaca.

    (9928) 1981 WE9, provisional designation 1981 WE9, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 16 November 1981, by astronomers at Perth Observatory in Bickley, Australia.

    3192 A'Hearn, provisional designation 1982 BY1, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, on 30 January 1982.

    1651 Behrens, provisional designation 1936 HD, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by Marguerite Laugier in 1936, it was named after Johann Behrens.

    1205 Ebella, provisional designation 1931 TB1, is a relatively eccentric asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5.5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory on 6 October 1931. The asteroid was named after German astronomer Martin Ebell.

    4282 Endate, provisional designation 1987 UQ1, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 October 1987, by Japanese astronomers Seiji Ueda and Hiroshi Kaneda at Kushiro Observatory (399) in Japan. It was named for amateur astronomer Kin Endate.

    1452 Hunnia, provisional designation 1938 DZ1, is a carbonaceous Meliboean asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 26 February 1938, by Hungarian astronomer György Kulin at the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest. The asteroid was named in honor of the Hungarian nation.

    1842 Hynek, provisional designation 1972 AA, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter.

    10711 Pskov, provisional designation 1982 TT2, is a dark asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 13 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1982, by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij, on the Crimean peninsula, and later named for the Russian city of Pskov.

    3255 Tholen, provisional designation 1980 RA, is a stony asteroid, Mars-crosser and relatively fast rotator, that measures approximately 5.1 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 2 September 1980, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona. The S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 2.95 hours. It was later named after American astronomer David Tholen.

    3401 Vanphilos, provisional designation 1981 PA, is a stony, eccentric asteroid and sizeable Mars-crosser, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 1 August 1981, by and at Harvard's Oak Ridge Observatory in Massachusetts, United States.

    3823 Yorii, provisional designation 1988 EC1, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter.

    1511 Daléra, provisional designation 1939 FB, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 March 1939, by French astronomer Louis Boyer at the Algerian Algiers Observatory, North Africa, and named after Paul Daléra, a friend of the discoverer.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">3674 Erbisbühl</span>

    3674 Erbisbühl is an stony asteroid and one of the largest Mars-crossers from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 13 September 1963, by German astronomer Cuno Hoffmeister at his Sonneberg Observatory on Mount Erbisbühl in Eastern Germany.

    4760 Jia-xiang, provisional designation 1981 GN1, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers (3 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 1 April 1981, by astronomers at Harvard University's Oak Ridge Observatory in Massachusetts, United States. The presumed stony S-type asteroid was named after Chinese astronomer Zhang Jiaxiang. It has a rotation period of 14.96 hours.

    1257 Móra, provisional designation 1932 PE, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 8 August 1932, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after Hungarian astronomer Károly Móra.

    1565 Lemaître, provisional designation 1948 WA, is a highly eccentric Phocaea asteroid and sizable Mars-crosser from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 25 November 1948, by Belgian astronomer Sylvain Arend at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, Belgium. It was named after cosmologist and priest Georges Lemaître.

    1708 Pólit, provisional designation 1929 XA, is a very dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 29 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 November 1929, by Spanish astronomer of Catalan origin Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, and was later named after Catalan astronomer Isidre Pòlit i Boixareu.

    861 Aïda is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 65 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 January 1917, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany, and given the provisional designation 1917 BE. It was named after the Italian opera Aida.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4276 Clifford (1981 XA)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(4276) Clifford". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4276) Clifford. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 366. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_4236. ISBN   978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. 1 2 "4276 Clifford (1981 XA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
    4. 1 2 3 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. S2CID   9341381 . Retrieved 15 June 2017.
    5. ↑ "LCDB Data for (4276) Clifford". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 15 June 2017.
    6. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 June 2017.

    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.