1248 Jugurtha (prov. designation: 1932 RO) is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 29 kilometers (18 miles) in diameter. Discovered by Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in 1932, the asteroid was named after Jugurtha, the ancient North African king of Numidia. The S-type asteroid is likely elongated in shape and has a rotation period of 12.9 hours.[14]

1248 Jugurtha
Shape model of Jugurtha from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byC. Jackson
Discovery siteJohannesburg Obs.
Discovery date1 September 1932
Designations
(1248) Jugurtha
Pronunciation/ʊˈɡɜːrθə/[2]
Named after
Jugurtha[3]
(King of Numidia)
1932 RO · 1930 DU
A901 VE · A915 XB
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc116.94 yr (42,713 d)
Aphelion2.7671 AU
Perihelion2.6769 AU
2.7220 AU
Eccentricity0.0166
4.49 yr (1,640 d)
32.971°
0° 13m 10.2s / day
Inclination9.1387°
79.381°
345.85°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
27.46±1.04 km[7]
28.468±0.193 km[8][9]
30.47±0.45 km[10]
33.559±0.209 km[11]
12.190±0.002 h[12][13]
0.2073[11]
0.257[8]
0.269[10]
0.282[7]
SMASS = S[6][14]
9.70[8][10][11]
9.80[7]
9.9[1][4][14]

Discovery edit

Jugurtha was discovered on 1 September 1932, by South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg.[1] On 29 September 1932, it was independently by Soviet astronomer Grigory Neujmin at the Simeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula.[3] The Minor Planet Center only recognizes the first discoverer.[1]

Orbit and classification edit

Jugurtha is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[6][5] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.7–2.8 AU once every 4 years and 6 months (1,640 days; semi-major axis of 2.72 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.02 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[4] The body's observation arc begins with its first observation as A901 VE at Heidelberg Observatory in November 1901, nearly 31 years prior to its official discovery, .[1]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named after Jugurtha (160–104 BC), a king of Numidia in North Africa, opposed to and defeated by Rome in the Jugurthine War (112–106 BC). The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 115).[3]

Physical characteristics edit

In the SMASS classification, Jugurtha is a common, stony S-type asteroid.[6][14]

Rotation period edit

Several rotational lightcurves of Jugurtha were obtained from photometric observations since 2001.[14][13][15][a] Analysis of the best-rated lightcurve gave a rotation period of 12.190±0.002 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.70 and 1.40 magnitude (U=3), indicative of an elongated, non-spherical shape.[12] A modeled lightcurve, using photometric data from the Lowell Photometric Database, gave a concurring period of 12.19047 hours, as well as a spin axis of (254.0°, −89.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[16]

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, Jugurtha measures between 27.46 and 33.559 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.2073 and 0.282.[7][8][9][10][11] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 31.12 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.9.[14]

Notes edit

  1. ^ Lightcurve plot of (1248) Jugurtha, Antelope Hills Observatory. rotation period 12.1897±0.0001 hours. Summary figures at the LCDB

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "1248 Jugurtha (1932 RO)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  2. ^ "Jugurtha". Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary.
  3. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(1248) Jugurtha". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 103–104. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1249. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  4. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1248 Jugurtha (1932 RO)" (2018-10-22 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  5. ^ a b "Asteroid (1248) Jugurtha– Proper elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 4 December 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d "Small Bodies Data Ferret". Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0. Archived from the original on 2 August 2017. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  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.
  8. ^ a b c d Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; Kramer, E. A.; Masiero, J. R.; et al. (June 2016). "NEOWISE Diameters and Albedos V1.0". NASA Planetary Data System: EAR-A-COMPIL-5-NEOWISEDIAM-V1.0. Bibcode:2016PDSS..247.....M. Retrieved 9 December 2018.
  9. ^ a b 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 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)
  11. ^ 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. (catalog)
  12. ^ a b Worman, Walter E.; Olson, Michael P. (June 2004). "CCD photometry of 1248 Jugurtha" (PDF). Minor Planet Bulletin. 31 (2): 42. Bibcode:2004MPBu...31...42W. ISSN 1052-8091.
  13. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1248) Jugurtha". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  14. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1248) Jugurtha". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 2 January 2018.
  15. ^ Koff, R. A.; Gross, J. (December 2002). "Lightcurve Photometry of Asteroid (1248) Jugurtha" (PDF). Minor Planet Bulletin. 29 (1): 75–76. Bibcode:2002MPBu...29...75K. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 October 2021. Retrieved 15 March 2020.
  16. ^ Durech, J.; Hanus, J.; Oszkiewicz, D.; Vanco, R. (March 2016). "Asteroid models from the Lowell photometric database". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 587: 6. arXiv:1601.02909. Bibcode:2016A&A...587A..48D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527573. S2CID 118427201.

External links edit