2368 Beltrovata, provisional designation 1977 RA, is an eccentric stony asteroid and near-Earth object of the Amor group, approximately 2.7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 September 1977, by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland.[3] The asteroid was named for Betty Tendering, a friend of author Gottfried Keller.[2]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | P. Wild |
| Discovery site | Zimmerwald Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 September 1977 |
| Designations | |
| (2368) Beltrovata | |
Named after | Betty Tendering (friend of Gottfried Keller)[2] |
| 1977 RA | |
| NEO · Amor [1][3] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 38.65 yr (14,117 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.9751 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.2356 AU |
| 2.1054 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.4131 |
| 3.05 yr (1,116 days) | |
| 39.633° | |
| 0° 19m 21.36s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.2222° |
| 287.34° | |
| 43.081° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.2334 AU · 90.9 LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2.3 km[1] 2.70 km (calculated)[4] 3.003±0.493 km[5] |
| 5.9 h[6][7] | |
| 0.161±0.081[5] 0.20 (assumed)[4] 0.27[1] | |
| Tholen = SQ [1] · S [4] B–V = 0.830[1] U–B = 0.520[1] | |
| 15.21[1][4][5] · 15.33±0.40[8] | |
Orbit and classification edit
Beltrovata orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.2–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 1 month (1,116 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.41 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
As an Amor asteroid, it approaches the orbit of Earth from the outside but does not cross it. It has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.2334 AU (34,900,000 km), which corresponds to 90.9 lunar distances.[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins with its official discovering observation at Zimmerwald.[3]
Physical characteristics edit
In the Tholen classification Beltrovata is a SQ-type asteroid, an intermediate between the common S-type and Q-type asteroids.[1]
Rotation period edit
A first rotational lightcurve of Beltrovata was obtained from photoelectric observations made by U.S. astronomers Edward Bowell and Schelte Bus in the 1970s (IAUC 3111), and gave a rotation period of 5.9 hours with a brightness variation of 0.84 magnitude (U=n.a.).[7] In 2000, the Near-Earth Objects Follow-up Program published an identical period but with a higher amplitude of 1.05 magnitude.(U=2).[6]
Diameter and albedo edit
According to the space-based survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 3.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.16,[5] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 2.7 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 15.21.[4]
Naming edit
This minor planet is named "Beltrovata", which is the name by whom the Swiss author Gottfried Keller from Zürich called his friend Betty Tendering. She served as role model for the character of "Dortchen Schönfund" in Keller's novel Green Henry.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 August 1981 (M.P.C. 6209).[9]
References edit
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2368 Beltrovata (1977 RA)" (2016-04-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 13 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2368) Beltrovata". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2368) Beltrovata. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 193. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2369. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b c "2368 Beltrovata (1977 RA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ a b c d e "LCDB Data for (2368) Beltrovata". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b Erikson, A.; Mottola, S.; Lagerros, J. S. V.; Lindgren, M.; Piironen, J.; Oja, T.; et al. (October 2000). "The Near-Earth Objects Follow-up Program. III. 32 Lightcurves for 12 Objects from 1992 and 1995". Icarus. 147 (2): 487–497. Bibcode:2000Icar..147..487E. doi:10.1006/icar.2000.6457. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ a b Bus, S. J.; Lauer, T.; Gibson, J.; Giclas, H. L.; Kantz, M. L.; Bowell, E.; et al. (September 1977). "1977 RA". IAU Circ. 3111 (3111): 2. Bibcode:1977IAUC.3111....2B. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ 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. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 1 September 2016.
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
- 2368 Beltrovata at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- 2368 Beltrovata at ESA–space situational awareness
- 2368 Beltrovata at the JPL Small-Body Database
