3099 Hergenrother, provisional designation 1940 GF, is an asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 3 April 1940, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland,[7] and named after American astronomer Carl Hergenrother in 1996.[2]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Y. Väisälä |
| Discovery site | Turku Obs. |
| Discovery date | 3 April 1940 |
| Designations | |
| (3099) Hergenrother | |
Named after | Carl Hergenrother (American astronomer)[2] |
| 1940 GF · 1969 EF1 1972 VV · 1979 KE 1980 NT · 1984 HB 1984 JG | |
| main-belt · (outer) [3] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 76.96 yr (28,111 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4563 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3048 AU |
| 2.8805 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1999 |
| 4.89 yr (1,786 days) | |
| 309.42° | |
| 0° 12m 5.76s / day | |
| Inclination | 15.496° |
| 31.100° | |
| 148.52° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 14.732±0.110 km[4][5] 29.21 km (calculated)[3] |
| 24.266±0.007 h[6] | |
| 0.057 (assumed)[3] 0.224±0.016[4][5] | |
| C [3] | |
| 11.4[1][3][4] | |
Orbit and classification
Hergenrother orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.3–3.5 AU once every 4 years and 11 months (1,786 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins 6 days after its official discovery observation at Turku.[7]
Physical characteristics
Rotation period
In January 2008, a rotational lightcurve of Hergenrother was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 24.266 hours with a brightness variation of 0.28 magnitude (U=2).[6]
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Hergenrother measures 14.73 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.224,[4][5] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and consequently calculates a diameter of 29.21 kilometers, as the lower the albedo, the larger the body's diameter at a certain absolute magnitude.[3]
Naming
This minor planet was named in honor of American astronomer Carl W. Hergenrother (born 1973). At Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, he has been a discoverer of minor planets with high inclinations during the Bigelow Sky Survey, precursor to the Catalina Sky Survey. The naming was proposed by MPC director Brian G. Marsden among others.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 3 May 1996 (M.P.C. 27124).[8]
References
External links
- Get to Know a Staff Scientist: Carl Hergenrother, Lunar & Planetary Laboratory, University of Arizona
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 3099 Hergenrother at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 3099 Hergenrother at the JPL Small-Body Database
