3254 Bus, provisional designation 1982 UM, is a rare-type Hildian asteroid from the outermost region of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 October 1982, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona.[3] It is named after astronomer Schelte J. Bus.[2]

3254 Bus
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. Bowell
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date17 October 1982
Designations
(3254) Bus
Named after
Schelte J. Bus
(American astronomer)[2]
1982 UM · 1982 SW4
main-belt[1] · Hilda[3][4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc34.69 yr (12,671 days)
Aphelion4.6044 AU
Perihelion3.3052 AU
3.9548 AU
Eccentricity0.1643
7.86 yr (2,873 days)
182.71°
0° 7m 31.08s / day
Inclination4.4462°
43.479°
305.67°
Jupiter MOID0.8515 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions31.104±0.895 km[5]
32.03 km (calculated)[4]
35.07±0.95 km[6]
6.62 h[7]
0.057 (assumed)[4]
0.058±0.003[6]
0.073±0.002[5]
SMASS = T [1]
D[5] · T[4]
11.00[6] · 11.2[1][4]

Orbit and classification

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Located in the outermost part of the main-belt, Bus is a member of the Hilda family, a large orbital group of asteroids that are thought to have originated from the Kuiper belt.[3] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.3–4.6 AU once every 7 years and 10 months (2,873 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It was first identified as 1982 SW4 at Crimea–Nauchnij, extending the body's observation arc by 3 weeks prior to its official discovery observation at Flagstaff.[3]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS taxonomy, Bus is a rare T-type asteroid, while NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) characterizes Bus as a dark D-type asteroid.[1][5]

Rotation period

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In the late 1980s or early 1990s, a rotational lightcurve of Bus was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Richard P. Binzel. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 6.62 hours with a brightness variation of 0.31 magnitude (U=2).[7]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the WISE spacecraft with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Bus measures 31.104 and 35.07 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.058 and 0.073, respectively.[5][6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 32.03 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 11.2.[4]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after American astronomer Schelte J. Bus, a prolific discoverer of minor planets and comets.[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 July 1985 (M.P.C. 9771).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3254 Bus (1982 UM)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3254) Bus". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 270. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3255. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d "3254 Bus (1982 UM)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (3254) Bus". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J.; Masiero, J.; Spahr, T.; McMillan, R. S.; et al. (January 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Hilda Population: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 744 (2): 15. arXiv:1110.0283. Bibcode:2012ApJ...744..197G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/197. S2CID 44000310. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  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 Binzel, Richard P.; Sauter, Linda M. (February 1992). "Trojan, Hilda, and Cybele asteroids - New lightcurve observations and analysis". Icarus. 95 (2): 222–238. Bibcode:1992Icar...95..222B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(92)90039-A. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
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