1274 Delportia, provisional designation 1932 WC, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 November 1932, by Belgian astronomer Eugène Delporte at Uccle Observatory in Belgium.[10] It was named after the discoverer himself.[2]

1274 Delportia
Orbital diagram
Discovery[1]
Discovered byE. Delporte
Discovery siteUccle Obs.
Discovery date28 November 1932
Designations
(1274) Delportia
Named after
Eugène Delporte
(Belgian astronomer)[2]
1932 WC · 1926 AA
1928 RX · 1934 JD
A918 RA
main-belt · Flora[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc98.84 yr (36,101 days)
Aphelion2.4813 AU
Perihelion1.9772 AU
2.2292 AU
Eccentricity0.1131
3.33 yr (1,216 days)
33.180°
0° 17m 45.96s / day
Inclination4.3970°
327.09°
244.65°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions9.611±0.121 km[4]
10.384±0.048 km[5]
12.85 km (calculated)[3]
12.95±0.22 km[6]
5.5±0.07 h[7]
5.615±0.001 h[a]
5.6204±0.0040 h[8]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
0.200±0.008[6]
0.3104±0.0340[5]
0.461±0.057[4]
Tholen = S[1] · S[3]
B–V = 0.895[1]
U–B = 0.525[1]
11.57±0.48[9] · 11.82[1][3][5][6] · 11.940±0.001 (R)[8]

Orbit and classification

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Delportia is a stony S-type asteroid on the Tholen taxonomic scheme. As a member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of the main belt, it orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,216 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It was first identified as A918 RA at Heidelberg Observatory in 1918. The body's observation arc begins 6 years prior to its official discovery observation at Uccle, when it was identified as 1926 AA at Heidelberg in 1926.[10]

Physical characteristics

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Rotation period

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A rotational light curve of Delportia was obtained by American astronomer Edwin E. Sheridan in March 2007. Light curve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 5.615 hours with a brightness variation of 0.05 magnitude (U=3),[a] superseding a period of 5.5 hours with an amplitude of 0.09 magnitude obtained by French amateur astronomer René Roy in December 2005 (U=2).[7] In February 2010, photometric observations at the Palomar Transient Factory gave a period of 5.6204 hours and an amplitude of 0.26 magnitude (U=2).[8]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, and the Japanese Akari satellite, Delportia measures 9.61 and 12.95 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.46 and 0.20, respectively.[4][6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 12.85 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 11.82.[3]

Naming

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Based on a suggestion by Gustav Stracke, this minor planet was named for its discoverer, Eugène Delporte (1882–1955), prolific discoverer of minor planets, astronomer and director at the discovering Uccle Observatory during 1936–1947. The lunar crater Delporte is also named in his honor. The official naming citation was first mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 117).[2]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b Sheridan (2011) web: rotation period 5.615±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.05 magnitude and a Quality Code of 3. Summary figures for (1274) Delportia at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL)

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1274 Delportia (1932 WC)" (2017-07-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1274) Delportia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1274) Delportia. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 105. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1275. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1274) Delportia". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  4. ^ 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. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  5. ^ a b c 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.
  6. ^ 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)
  7. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1274) Delportia". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  8. ^ 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 23 January 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. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
  10. ^ a b "1274 Delportia (1932 WC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 23 January 2017.
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