3960 Chaliubieju, provisional designation 1955 BG, is a stony asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 January 1955, by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, China.[10] The asteroid was named after Cha Liubieju, a friend of one of the discoverers.[2]

3960 Chaliubieju
Discovery [1]
Discovered byPurple Mountain Obs.
Discovery sitePurple Mountain Obs.
Discovery date20 January 1955
Designations
(3960) Chaliubieju
Named after
Cha Liubieju [2]
(friend of a discoverer)
1955 BG · 1984 YZ3
A921 EF
main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.45 yr (22,811 days)
Aphelion3.3782 AU
Perihelion1.9050 AU
2.6416 AU
Eccentricity0.2788
4.29 yr (1,568 days)
217.16°
0° 13m 46.56s / day
Inclination14.414°
84.839°
12.605°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7.13±1.18 km[4]
8.13±1.44 km[5]
8.997±0.259 km[6]
9.00±0.26 km[6]
14.57 km (calculated)[3]
3.984±0.002 h[7]
3.986±0.001 h[8]
0.10 (assumed)[3]
0.288±0.030[6]
0.32±0.17[5]
0.34±0.11[4]
S[3]
12.20[5][6] · 12.3[3] · 12.38±0.25[9] · 12.4[1] · 12.57[4]

Orbit and classification edit

Chaliubieju is an asteroid of the main belt's background population that does not belong to any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 1.9–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,568 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.28 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid was first identified as A921 EF at Bergedorf Observatory in March 1921. The body's observation arc begins at Nanjing, two days after its official discovery observation.[10]

Physical characteristics edit

Chaliubieju is an assumed S-type asteroid.[3]

Rotation period edit

In February 2011, a rotational lightcurve of Chaliubieju was obtained French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.986 hours with a brightness variation of 0.27 magnitude (U=3).[8] One month later another photometric observation at the Astronomical Research Observatory (H21) gave a concurring period of 3.984 hours and an amplitude of 0.30 magnitude (U=3-).[7]

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Chaliubieju measures between 7.13 and 9.00 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.288 and 0.34,[4][5][6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.10 and calculates a diameter of 14.57 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.3.[3]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named after Cha Liubieju, a friend of one of the discovering astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory. Liubieju is noted for her social work with sick and destitute mothers and children in China.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 October 1998 (M.P.C. 32787).[11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3960 Chaliubieju (1955 BG)" (2017-07-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3960) Chaliubieju". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3960) Chaliubieju. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 337. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3948. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (3960) Chaliubieju". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Kramer, E. A.; Grav, T.; et al. (September 2016). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year Two: Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (3): 12. arXiv:1606.08923. Bibcode:2016AJ....152...63N. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/3/63.
  5. ^ a b c d 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 14 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e 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. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b Linder, Tyler R.; Sampson, Ryan; Holmes, Robert (January 2013). "Astronomical Research Institute Photometric Results". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 40 (1): 4–6. Bibcode:2013MPBu...40....4L. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (3960) Chaliubieju". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  9. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b "3960 Chaliubieju (1955 BG)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 September 2017.

External links edit