1977 Shura, provisional designation 1970 QY, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 August 1970, by Russian astronomer Tamara Smirnova at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula.[10] The asteroid was named for Soviet Aleksandr Kosmodemyansky.[2]

1977 Shura
Discovery[1]
Discovered byT. Smirnova
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date30 August 1970
Designations
(1977) Shura
Named after
Aleksandr Kosmodemyansky[2]
(Hero of the Soviet Union)
1970 QY · 1942 RW
1952 UT1 · 1968 DE
main-belt · (middle)
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.80 yr (22,936 days)
Aphelion2.9845 AU
Perihelion2.5782 AU
2.7814 AU
Eccentricity0.0730
4.64 yr (1,694 days)
120.99°
0° 12m 45s / day
Inclination7.7643°
332.26°
310.44°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions14.89 km (calculated)[3]
16.27±0.65 km[4]
17.211±0.117[5]
18.497±0.124 km[6]
7.461±0.004 h[7]
0.1311±0.0069[6]
0.150±0.028[5]
0.185±0.016[4]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
SMASS = Sq[1][8]
C[9] · S[3]
11.40[4] · 11.5[1][3][6] · 11.64±0.30[9]

Orbit and classification edit

Shura orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,694 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid was first observed as 1942 RW at Turku Observatory in 1942. The first used observation was a precovery taken at Goethe Link Observatory in 1954, extending the body's observation arc by 16 years prior to its official discovery observation at Nauchnyj.[10]

Physical characteristics edit

Rotation period edit

A rotational lightcurve was obtained from photometric measurements made at the Australian Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in March 2010. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 7.461±0.004 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.34 in magnitude (U=3).[7]

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the space-based surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 16.3 and 18.5 kilometers in diameter, respectively, and its surface has a corresponding albedo of 0.19 and 0.13.[4][6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 14.9 kilometers.[3]

Between 2005 and 2022, 1977 Shura has been observed to occult three stars.

Spectral type edit

CALL characterizes Shura as a stony S-type asteroid.[3] In the SMASS taxonomic scheme, it is classified as a transitional Sq-subtype to the elusive Q-type asteroids of the main-belt.[1][8] Shura is also characterized as a carbonaceous C-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS' photometric survey.[9]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named after Aleksandr Kosmodemyansky (1925–1945), Hero of the Soviet Union, who died at the age of 19 during the German-Soviet War, shortly after the Battle of Königsberg. "Shura" is a pet name for Aleksandr. The minor planets 1793 Zoya and 2072 Kosmodemyanskaya were named in honor of his sister and mother, respectively. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 June 1977 (M.P.C. 4190).[2][11]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1977 Shura (1970 QY)" (2016-12-22 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1977) Shura". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1977) Shura. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 159. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1978. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1977) Shura". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  4. ^ 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)
  5. ^ 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. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. ^ 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. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b Albers, Kenda; Kragh, Katherine; Monnier, Adam; Pligge, Zachary; Stolze, Kellen; West, Josh; et al. (October 2010). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory: 2009 October thru 2010 April". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 37 (4): 152–158. Bibcode:2010MPBu...37..152A. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  8. ^ a b Binzel, R. P.; Masi, G.; Foglia, S.; Vernazza, P.; Burbine, T. H.; Thomas, C. A.; et al. (March 2007). "Searching for V-type and Q-type Main-Belt Asteroids Based on SDSS Colors". 38th Lunar and Planetary Science Conference. 38 (1338): 1851. Bibcode:2007LPI....38.1851B. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  9. ^ 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. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  10. ^ a b "1977 Shura (1970 QY)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 May 2016.
  11. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.

External links edit