24101 Cassini

24101 Cassini
Discovery [1]
Discovered by C. W. Juels
Discovery site Fountain Hills Obs. (678)
Discovery date 9 November 1999
Designations
MPC designation 24101 Cassini
Named after
 Giovanni Cassini
(astronomer)[2]
1999 VA9 · 1926 XH
1926 YB · 1986 RS16
1986 TM15
main-belt · (middle) [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 88.68 yr (32,390 days)
Aphelion 3.4629 AU
Perihelion 1.8272 AU
2.6450 AU
Eccentricity 0.3092
4.30 yr (1,571 days)
252.42°
Inclination 15.474°
176.57°
255.83°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 7.051±0.352 km[4]
11.05 km (calculated)[3]
3.986±0.001 h[lower-alpha 1][5]
0.2458±0.0529[4]
0.10 (assumed)[3]
S [3]
12.9[1][3]

    24101 Cassini, provisional designation 1999 VA9, is a stony asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, roughly 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 November 1999, by American amateur astronomer Charles Juels at the U.S. Fountain Hills Observatory (678), Arizona.[6]

    The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–3.5 AU once every 4 years and 4 months (1,571 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.31 and an inclination of 15 degrees from the plane of the ecliptic.[1]

    In 2009 a photometric light-curve analysis at the private U.S. Shed of Science Observatory (H39), Minnesota, and by Italian astronomer Silvano Casulli, rendered a well-defined rotation period of 3.986±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.12 in magnitude (U=3/-3).[lower-alpha 1][5] According to observations carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 7.1 kilometer in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.25.[4] However, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes an untypically low albedo of only 0.10 and correspondingly, calculates a diameter of 11.1 kilometers, as the lower the body's reflectivity (albedo), the higher its diameter for a given absolute brightness (magnitude).[3]

    The minor planet was named in honor of Italian-born French astronomer Giovanni Cassini (1625–1712), who was the first director of the Paris Observatory from 1671 until his death. He discovered four of the satellites of Saturn, the major gap in its rings , known as Cassini Division, and was the first to record observations of the zodiacal light. The Cassini–Huygens spacecraft is named after him and Christiaan Huygens.[2] The lunar and Martian craters Cassini are also named in his honor.

    References

    1. 1 2 Durkee (2011) web: rotation period 3.986±0.001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.12 mag. Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (24101) Cassini and at Shed of Science (S.O.S.) Observatory
    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 24101 Cassini (1999 VA9)" (2015-08-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved January 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (24101) Cassini. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 873. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved January 2016.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LCDB Data for (24101) Cassini". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved January 2016.
    4. 1 2 3 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. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved January 2016.
    5. 1 2 Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (24101) Cassini". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved January 2016.
    6. ↑ "24101 Cassini (1999 VA9)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved January 2016.

    External links

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