950 Ahrensa

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950 Ahrensa
000950-asteroid shape model (950) Ahrensa.png
Modelled shape of Ahrensa from its lightcurve
Discovery [1]
Discovered by K. Reinmuth
Discovery site Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date1 April 1921
Designations
(950) Ahrensa
Named after
Ahrens family
(friends of discoverer) [2]
1921 JP ·1955 SU2
1974 VG3 ·A904 RF
main-belt  · Phocaea [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 111.60 yr (40761 days)
Aphelion 2.7477  AU (411.05  Gm)
Perihelion 1.9958 AU (298.57 Gm)
2.3717 AU (354.80 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.15851
3.65 yr (1334.1 d)
53.005°
0° 16m 11.424s / day
Inclination 23.477°
181.81°
348.19°
Physical characteristics
15.03±1.8(IRAS:15) km [4]
16.21±0.53 km [5]
14.299±0.070 km [6]
16.66±0.41 km [7]
15.34 km (derived) [3]
202±1 h, [8] 202  h (8.4  d) [1]
0.1793±0.054(IRAS:15) [1] [4]
0.158±0.011 [5]
0.1988±0.0203 [6]
0.231±0.031 [7]
0.2727 (derived) [3]
SMASS = Sa
S [3]
11.2 [1]

    950 Ahrensa, provisional designation 1921 JP, is a stony Phocaea asteroid and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 1 April 1921, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany. [9]

    Contents

    Description

    The S-type asteroid, classified as a Sa-subtype in the SMASS taxonomic scheme, is a member of the Phocaea family, a group of asteroids with similar orbital characteristics. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.7  AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,334 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.16 and is tilted by 23 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic.

    A photometric lightcurve analysis at the U.S. Palmer Divide Observatory in 2009, showed that the body has an exceptionally long rotation period of 202 hours. [8] According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite, IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the U.S. Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the surface of the asteroid has an albedo in the range of 0.16 to 0.23, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an even higher value of 0.27 for the stony body. [3] [4] [5] [6] [7]

    The minor planet was named in honor of friends of the discoverer Karl Reinmuth, the Ahrens family, who helped him financially at the Heidelberg Observatory. Reinmuth also named the minor planet 909 Ulla after Ulla Ahrens, a member of this family. [2]

    Related Research Articles

    997 Priska, provisional designation 1923 NR, is a carbonaceous Adeonian asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 July 1923, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid's name is a common German female name, unrelated to the discoverer's contemporaries.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1069 Planckia</span> Background asteroid

    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.

    1072 Malva, provisional designation 1926 TA, is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 48 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 October 1926, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Germany. The asteroid was named after the flowering plant Malva (mallow).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1080 Orchis</span>

    1080 Orchis, provisional designation 1927 QB, is an dark background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 30 August 1927, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. The carbonaceous F-type asteroid has a rotation period of 16.1 hours and measures approximately 22 kilometers in diameter. It was named after the flowering plant Orchis.

    1085 Amaryllis, provisional designation 1927 QH, is a background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 69 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 31 August 1927, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after the flowering plant Amaryllis.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1087 Arabis</span>

    1087 Arabis is a stony Eoan asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 35 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in 1927 and assigned the provisional designation 1927 RD. The asteroid was named after the flowering plant Arabis (rockcress).

    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.

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1118 Hanskya</span> Asteroid

    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.

    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.

    1250 Galanthus, provisional designation 1933 BD, is a dark background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 25 January 1933, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory. The asteroid was named for the herbaceous plant Galanthus, also known as "snowdrop".

    1227 Geranium, provisional designation 1931 TD, is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 46 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 October 1931, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory. The asteroid was named for the flowering plant Geranium (cranesbills).

    <span class="mw-page-title-main">1987 Kaplan</span> Main-belt asteroid

    1987 Kaplan, provisional designation 1952 RH, is a stony Phocaea asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 14 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 11 September 1952, by Soviet astronomer Pelageya Shajn at the Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid was named after Soviet astrophysicist Samuil Kaplan.

    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.

    5430 Luu, provisional designation 1988 JA1, is a stony Phocaea asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 May 1988, by American astronomer couple Carolyn and Eugene Shoemaker at Palomar Observatory, California, and later named after astronomer Jane Luu.

    2696 Magion, provisional designation 1980 HB, is a dark background asteroid and a slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 16 April 1980, by Slovak astronomer Ladislav Brožek at the Kleť Observatory in former Czechoslovakia. The X-type asteroid has an ambiguous rotation period of 480 hours and is possibly a tumbler. It was named for the first Czechoslovak satellite, Magion 1, launched in 1978.

    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.

    1692 Subbotina, provisional designation 1936 QD, is a dark background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 37 kilometers in diameter. The carbonaceous Cg-type asteroid has a rotation period of 9.2 hours. It was discovered by Grigory Neujmin at the Crimean Simeiz Observatory in 1936, and later named after Soviet mathematician and astronomer Mikhail Subbotin.

    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.

    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.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 950 Ahrensa (1921 JP)" (2015-10-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 2 May 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). "(950) Ahrensa". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (950) Ahrensa. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 84. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_951. ISBN   978-3-540-29925-7.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "LCDB Data for (950) Ahrensa". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 4 January 2016.
    4. 1 2 3 Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T . Retrieved 22 October 2019.
    5. 1 2 3 Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
    6. 1 2 3 Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv: 1109.6407 . Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90 . Retrieved 4 January 2016.
    7. 1 2 3 Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv: 1209.5794 . Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8 . Retrieved 4 January 2016.
    8. 1 2 Warner, Brian D. (January 2010). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Palmer Divide Observatory: 2009 June-September". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 37 (1): 24–27. Bibcode:2010MPBu...37...24W. ISSN   1052-8091 . Retrieved 4 January 2016.
    9. "950 Ahrensa (1921 JP)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 January 2016.