342843 Davidbowie
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | F. Hormuth |
| Discovery site | Calar Alto Obs. |
| Discovery date | 21 December 2008 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 342843 Davidbowie |
Named after |
David Bowie (singer-songwriter)[2] |
| 2008 YN3 · 2003 SG99 | |
| main-belt | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 11.56 yr (4,222 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.9918 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.5036 AU |
| 2.7477 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0888 |
| 4.55 yr (1,664 days) | |
| 263.43° | |
| Inclination | 2.7680° |
| 62.363° | |
| 300.64° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2 km (calculated at 0.05)[3] |
| 17.1[1] | |
|
| |
342843 Davidbowie, provisional designation 2008 YN3, is a small asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, roughly 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 21 December 2008, by German astronomer Felix Hormuth from Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy at Calar Alto Observatory in Almería, southeastern Spain.[2][4]
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.5–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 7 months (1,664 days). Its orbit shows a low eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 3 degrees from the plane of the ecliptic. Notably, the asteroid had a close encounter with the 200 kilometer-sized asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the most massive bodies in the main-belt, which it passed at only 0.04 AU (6,000,000 km) on 15 May 1935.[1]
Little is known about the asteroid's effective size, composition, albedo and rotation. It has, however, a well-observed orbit with the lowest possible condition code and an observation arc that spans over a period of more than a decade, since it was first observed in 2003, but not identified as a new asteroid until 2008.[1][5] Based on its absolute magnitude of 17.1, its diameter is between 1 and 2 kilometers, assuming an albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[3] Since most asteroids in the outer main-belt are of a carbonaceous rather than of a silicaceous composition, with a low albedo, typically around 0.05, the asteroid's diameter might be on the upper end of NASA's published conversion table, as the lower the albedo (reflectivity), the larger the body's diameter for its given absolute magnitude (brightness).[3]
The minor planet was named on 5 January 2015, in honor of British singer, songwriter, producer and actor, David Bowie (1947–2016), just 3 days before Bowie's 68th birthday.[5] He started his career in the 1960s and became widely known in the early 1970s. One of the most influential artists, he has released more than 25 albums including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars, and has stared in several feature films such as Labyrinth and The Prestige.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 342843 Davidbowie (2008 YN3)" (2015-04-11 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved January 2016.
- 1 2 3 "342843 Davidbowie (2008 YN3)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved January 2016.
- 1 2 3 "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
- ↑ "It's no 'Space Oddity': Mile-Wide David Bowie Asteroid to Forever Float in Outer Space". denver.cbslocal.com. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
- 1 2 "This is the Space Rock Tribute to the Late, Great David Bowie". gizmodo.com. Retrieved 12 January 2016.
External links
- Minor Planet Center MPC Archive, (MPC 20150105)
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (340001)-(345000) – Minor Planet Center
- 342843 Davidbowie at the JPL Small-Body Database
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