3841 Dicicco, provisional designation 1983 VG7, is a stony Florian asteroid and synchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 November 1983, by American astronomer Brian Skiff at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States.[11] It was named after American astronomer Dennis di Cicco.[2] Its minor-planet moon, provisionally designated S/2014 (3841) 1, was discovered in 2014.[5]

3841 Dicicco
Discovery [1]
Discovered byB. A. Skiff
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date4 November 1983
Designations
(3841) Dicicco
Named after
Dennis di Cicco
(American astronomer)[2]
1983 VG7 · 1973 YM2
1982 KA2
main-belt · Flora[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc43.27 yr (15,806 days)
Aphelion2.6394 AU
Perihelion1.9083 AU
2.2739 AU
Eccentricity0.1607
3.43 yr (1,252 days)
305.68°
0° 17m 14.64s / day
Inclination5.2241°
46.079°
359.76°
Known satellites1 [4][5]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions4.74±1.11 km[6]
5.10 km (derived)[3]
6.252±0.110 km[7][8]
6.45±0.31 km[9]
3.5949±0.0002 h[a]
3.5950±0.0001 h[5]
0.24 (assumed)[3]
0.294±0.033[9][8]
0.3126±0.0343[7]
0.38±0.24[6]
SMASS = S[1] · S[10][3]
12.90[9][7] · 13.00[6] · 13.2[1] · 13.26±0.25[10] · 13.63±0.04[3][5]

Orbit and classification

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Dicicco is member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the inner main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,252 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

It was first identified as 1973 YM2 at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1973, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.[11]

Physical characteristics

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Dicicco is a stony S-type asteroid in the SMASS classification.[1]

Rotation period

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In December 2014, two rotational lightcurves of Dicicco were obtained from photometric observations by an international collaboration of American and European astronomers. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.5949 and 3.5950 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.18 and 0.19 magnitude, respectively (U=3/n.a.).[5][a]

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, Dicicco measures between 4.74 and 6.45 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.294 and 0.38.[6][7][8][9] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 — derived from 8 Flora, the family's largest member and namesake – and derives a diameter of 5.10 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 13.63.[3]

Satellite

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During the photometric observations made in December 2014, it was revealed that Dicicco is a synchronous binary asteroid. Its minor-planet moon, designated S/2014 (3841) 1 measures at least 1.67 kilometers in diameter based on a diameter-ratio of larger than 0.28.[4] Its orbit has an estimated semi-major axis of 12 kilometers, and a derived period of 21.63 and 21.641 hours, respectively.[5][a]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after American amateur astronomer and astrophotographer Dennis di Cicco.[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 April 1990 (M.P.C. 16246).[12]

Notes

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  1. ^ a b c Klinglesmith (2014) web: rotation period 3.5949±0.0002 hours with a brightness amplitude of mag, obs. date: 2014-11-26; Quality Code: n.a.. Summary figures for (3841) Dicicco at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL). Referenced publication 2014CBET.4033....1K is not a valid abstract at ADS

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3841 Dicicco (1983 VG7)" (2017-03-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3841) Dicicco". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3841) Dicicco. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 325–326. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3833. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (3841) Dicicco". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  4. ^ a b Johnston, Robert (16 November 2014). "(3841) Dicicco". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d e f Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; Franco, Lorenzo; Marchini, Alessandro; Odden, Carolyn E.; Pravec, Petr; Scardella, Maurizio; et al. (October 2015). "3841 Dicicco: A Binary Asteroid". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 42 (4): 249–250. Bibcode:2015MPBu...42..249K. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ 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. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  9. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  10. ^ a b 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 16 June 2017.
  11. ^ a b "3841 Dicicco (1983 VG7)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  12. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
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