1053 Vigdis, provisional designation 1925 WA, is a bright background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers (5.6 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 16 November 1925, by German astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in Heidelberg, Germany.[1] The meaning of the asteroids's name is unknown.[2]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. F. Wolf |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 16 November 1925 |
| Designations | |
| (1053) Vigdis | |
Named after | unknown[2] |
| 1925 WA · 1929 RM | |
| main-belt[1][3] · (middle) background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 91.55 yr (33,439 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.8669 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3616 AU |
| 2.6143 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0966 |
| 4.23 yr (1,544 d) | |
| 280.15° | |
| 0° 13m 59.52s / day | |
| Inclination | 8.3407° |
| 17.590° | |
| 42.538° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 9.110±1.041 km[5] |
| 0.389±0.269[5] | |
| 12.2[3] | |
Orbit and classification edit
Vigdis is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population.[4] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.4–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,544 days; semi-major axis of 2.61 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] The asteroid was first observed at Algiers Observatory on 15 November 1925. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg with its official discovery observation the following night.[1]
Physical characteristics edit
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Vigdis measures 9.110 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.389.[5] As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of Vigdis has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.[3]
Naming edit
Any reference of this minor planet's name to a person or occurrence is unknown.[2] "Vigdis" is an antiquated female first name used in Scandinavia and Iceland.
Unknown meaning edit
Among the many thousands of named minor planets, Vigdis is one of 120 asteroids for which no official naming citation has been published. All of these asteroids have low numbers between 164 Eva and 1514 Ricouxa and were discovered between 1876 and the 1930s, predominantly by astronomers Auguste Charlois, Johann Palisa, Max Wolf and Karl Reinmuth.[6]
References edit
- ^ a b c d "1053 Vigdis (1925 WA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1053) Vigdis". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1053) Vigdis. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 90. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1054. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1053 Vigdis (1925 WA)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 March 2018.
- ^ a b "Asteroid 1053 Vigdis – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
- ^ a b c 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 26 March 2018.
- ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "Appendix 11 – Minor Planet Names with Unknown Meaning". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Fifth Revised and Enlarged revision. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 927–929. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
External links edit
- 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
- 1053 Vigdis at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 1053 Vigdis at the JPL Small-Body Database
