3962 Valyaev (prov. designation: 1967 CC) is a dark Themistian asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt. The presumed C-type asteroid has a rotation period of 16.4 hours and measures approximately 15 kilometers (9.3 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 8 February 1967, by Russian astronomer Tamara Smirnova at Nauchnyj on the Crimean peninsula, and later named after Russian astronomer Valerij Valyaev.[2][9]

3962 Valyaev
Shape model of Valyaev from its lightcurve
Discovery [1]
Discovered byT. Smirnova
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date8 February 1967
Designations
(3962) Valyaev
Named after
Valerij Valyaev (Russian astronomer)[2]
1967 CC · 1973 GL1
1976 UT10 · 1982 XE1
1984 DC2
main-belt · Themis[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc60.92 yr (22,251 days)
Aphelion3.5778 AU
Perihelion2.8406 AU
3.2092 AU
Eccentricity0.1148
5.75 yr (2,100 days)
293.47°
0° 10m 17.04s / day
Inclination1.9984°
49.683°
106.16°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
14.76±1.11 km[4]
16.285±0.231 km[5][6]
16.4399±0.0077 h[3][7]
0.08 (assumed)[3]
0.088±0.014[5][6]
0.089±0.014[4]
C (assumed)[3]
12.2[5] · 12.4[1][4] · 12.403±0.005 (R)[7] · 12.56±0.19[8] · 12.85[3]

Classification and orbit edit

The C-type asteroid is a member of the Themis family, a dynamical family of outer-belt asteroids with nearly coplanar ecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,100 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] A first precovery was obtained at Palomar Observatory in 1956, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 11 years prior to its discovery.[9]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named after Russian astronomer Valerij Valyaev (b. 1944), chief of the Ephemeris Astronomy Department at the Institute for Theoretical Astronomy (ITA), which was then part of the USSR Academy of Sciences in Leningrad. The minor planet 1735 ITA is named after this institute. Valyaev is also the senior editor of the periodicals Morskoj Astronomicheskij Ezhegodnik and Aviatsionnyj Astronomicheskij Ezhegodnik. The asteroids's name was proposed by ITA,[2] and its official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 December 1994 (M.P.C. 24410).[10]

Physical characteristics edit

Rotation period edit

In September 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Valyaev was obtained from photometric observations by the Palomar Transient Factory survey in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 16.4399 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.44 magnitude (U=2).[7]

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Valyaev measures 14.76 and 16.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a low albedo of 0.088 and 0.089, respectively.[4][5][6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes an albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.08 and calculates a smaller diameter of 12.6 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.85.[3]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3962 Valyaev (1967 CC)" (2017-02-15 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 31 May 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3962) Valyaev". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 338. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3950. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (3962) Valyaev". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d 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)
  5. ^ a b c d 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 26 April 2016.
  6. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  8. ^ 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. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  9. ^ a b "3962 Valyaev (1967 CC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 26 April 2016.
  10. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 26 April 2016.

External links edit