1858 Lobachevskij (prov. designation: 1972 QL) is a rare-type background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 13 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 18 August 1972, by Soviet astronomer Lyudmila Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula.[9] The asteroid was named after Russian mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky.[2]

1858 Lobachevskij
Lobachevskij modeled from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byL. Zhuravleva
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date18 August 1972
Designations
(1858) Lobachevskij
Named after
Nikolai Lobachevsky
(Russian mathematician)[2]
1972 QL · 1928 SG
1936 MH · 1955 VW
1957 BM · 1964 YC
main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc80.42 yr (29,372 days)
Aphelion2.9086 AU
Perihelion2.4897 AU
2.6992 AU
Eccentricity0.0776
4.43 yr (1,620 days)
98.237°
0° 13m 20.28s / day
Inclination1.6607°
271.91°
17.726°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions10.769±0.189[4]
10.919±0.116 km[5]
13.06 km (calculated)[3]
5.409±0.0115 h (S)[6]
5.413±0.003 h[7]
5.4141±0.0115 h (R)[6]
5.435±0.003 h[7]
7.00±0.01 h (dated)[8]
0.18 (assumed)[3]
0.3737±0.0590[5]
0.383±0.055[4]
SMASS = L[1]
11.5[5] · 11.9[1] · 11.905±0.002 (R)[6] · 12.0[3] · 12.368±0.002 (S)[6]

Orbit and classification

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Lobachevskij had already been photographed in precovery images dating back to the 1930s, providing it with a much larger observation arc. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.5–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 5 months (1,620 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] First observed as 1928 SG at Heidelberg Observatory in 1928, the asteroid's first used observations was a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in 1954, extending its observation arc by 18 years prior to its official discovery at Nauchnyj.[9]

Naming

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This minor planet was named in honor of mathematician Nikolai Lobachevsky (1792–1856), Russian mathematician and creator of the first comprehensive system of non-Euclidean geometry.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1975 (M.P.C. 3826).[10]

Physical characteristics

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Lobachevskij is a strongly reddish and relatively uncommon L-type asteroid in the SMASS classification.[1] It has an absolute magnitude between 11.5 and 12.4.[3]

Lightcurves

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In May 2011, photometric observation of Lobachevskij gave a rotation period of 5.413 and 5.435 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.30 and 0.33 magnitude, respectively (U=2+/2),[7] superseding a previous period of 7.00 hours (U=2).[8]

In September 2012, two rotational lightcurves were obtained in the S- and R-band at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a period of 5.409 and 5.4141 hours with an amplitude of 0.26 and 0.22 magnitude, respectively (U=2/2).[6]

Occultation

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Lobachevskij covered a 10.4 mag star—a phenomenon known as occultation—in the constellation Sagittarius in June 2007. It was predicted that the event could be seen in the northeastern United States and southeast Canada. The combined light magnitude of the bodies would drop momentarily—for a maximum of 2.2 seconds.[11]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Lobachevskij measures between 10.769 and 10.919 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.3737 and 0.383, respectively,[5][4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a lower albedo of 0.18 and calculates a diameter of 12.47 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.0.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1858 Lobachevskij (1972 QL)" (2016-11-23 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1858) Lobachevskij". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1858) Lobachevskij. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 149. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1859. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1858) Lobachevskij". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 9 June 2017.
  4. ^ 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. S2CID 118745497. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  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. S2CID 35447010.
  6. ^ a b c d e 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. S2CID 8342929. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Ditteon, Richard; Horn, Lauren; Kamperman, Amy; Vorjohan, Bradley; Kirkpatrick, Elaine (January 2012). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Souther Sky Observatory: 2011 April-May". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (1): 26–28. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39...26D. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  8. ^ a b Ditteon, R.; Bixby, A. R.; Sarros, A. M.; Waters, C. T. (December 2002). "Rotation Periods and Lightcurves of 1858 Lobachevskij, 2384 Schulhof and (5515) 1989 EL1". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 29: 69. Bibcode:2002MPBu...29...69D. Retrieved 22 August 2016.
  9. ^ a b "1858 Lobachevskij (1972 QL)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  10. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. Bibcode:2009dmpn.book.....S. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.
  11. ^ "IOTA/IOTA-ES occultation update for (1858) Lobachevskij / TYC 6295-00008-1 event on 2007 Jun 15, 04:51 UT". Archived from the original on 15 May 2007. Retrieved 8 March 2008.
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