1041 Asta, provisional designation 1925 FA, is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 57 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 March 1925, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany.[14] The asteroid was likely named after Danish actress Asta Nielsen.

1041 Asta
Discovery[1]
Discovered byK. Reinmuth
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date22 March 1925
Designations
(1041) Asta
Named after
Asta Nielsen[2]
(Danish actress)
1925 FA · 1938 SJ1
1949 UQ · 1949 UX
1951 CQ1 · 1956 AT
A906 VA · A917 YB
main-belt · (outer)[3]
background[4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc110.65 yr (40,416 days)
Aphelion3.5142 AU
Perihelion2.6335 AU
3.0738 AU
Eccentricity0.1433
5.39 yr (1,968 days)
203.59°
0° 10m 58.44s / day
Inclination13.934°
60.001°
343.95°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions43.46±10.89 km[5]
44.05±11.20 km[6]
49.43±0.78 km[7]
57.16 km (derived)[3]
58.88±0.87 km[8]
60.571±0.199 km[9]
61.852±1.162 km[10]
7.554±0.001 h[11]
7.99±0.02 h[12]
0.0421±0.0028[10]
0.047±0.002[8]
0.047±0.006[9]
0.0493 (derived)[3]
0.066±0.010[7]
0.07±0.04[5]
0.08±0.06[6]
SMASS = C[1][3] · C[13]
10.08±0.31[13] · 10.10[1][3][5][8][7][10] · 10.17[6]

Orbit and classification edit

Asta is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[4] It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.5 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,968 days; semi-major axis of 3.07 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The asteroid was first observed as A906 VA at Heidelberg on November 1906, where the body's observation arc begins one month later in December 1906.[14]

Physical characteristics edit

In the SMASS classification, Asta is a carbonaceous C-type asteroid.[1] Pan-STARRS photometric survey also characterizes the asteroid as a C-type.[13]

Rotation period edit

Photometric observations of Asta collected at the Australian Oakley Southern Sky Observatory and the U.S. Oakley Observatory in October 2008 show a rotation period of 7.99 hours with a brightness variation of 0.22 magnitude (U=2+).[12] In February 2010, a refined lightcurve with a period of 7.554 hours and an amplitude of 0.14 magnitude was obtained by French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini, who also mentioned the possibility of an alternative period solution (U=3-).[11]

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, Asta measures between 43.46 and 61.852 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.0421 and 0.08.[5][6][7][8][9][10]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0493 and a diameter of 57.16 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.1.[3]

Naming edit

This minor planet was likely named after Danish actress Asta Nielsen (1881–1972), according to research by the author of the Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Lutz Schmadel (LDS). The naming was proposed by ARI-astronomer Gustav Stracke.[2]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1041 Asta (1925 FA)" (2017-07-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  2. ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1041) Asta". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1041) Asta. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 89. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1042. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1041) Asta". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Asteroid 1041 Asta – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  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 10 January 2018.
  6. ^ 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.
  7. ^ a b c d 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 10 January 2018.
  8. ^ 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)
  9. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. S2CID 119293330.
  10. ^ 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. S2CID 35447010.
  11. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1041) Asta". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  12. ^ a b Carbo, Landy; Kragh, Katherine; Krotz, Jonathan; Meiers, Andrew; Shaffer, Nelson; Torno, Steven; et al. (July 2009). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory and Oakley Observatory: 2008 September and October". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (3): 91–94. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36...91C. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 10 January 2018.
  13. ^ a b c 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 10 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b "1041 Asta (1925 FA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 January 2018.

External links edit