1997 Leverrier

1997 Leverrier
Discovery [1]
Discovered by Indiana University
(Indiana Asteroid Program)
Discovery site Goethe Link Obs.
Discovery date 14 September 1963
Designations
MPC designation (1997) Leverrier
Named after
 Urbain Le Verrier
(mathematician)[2]
1963 RC · 1940 SF
1950 TS3 · 1953 QB
1973 SX4 · 1973 UF
main-belt · Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 66.72 yr (24,370 days)
Aphelion 2.6660 AU
Perihelion 1.7520 AU
2.2090 AU
Eccentricity 0.2069
3.28 yr (1,199 days)
153.46°
0° 18m 0.72s / day
Inclination 6.0689°
353.22°
0.6461°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 6.81±0.7 km (IRAS:2)[4]
6.83 km (derived)[3]
8.01532±0.00001 h[5]
0.1662±0.040 (IRAS:2)[4]
0.1811 (derived)[3]
S [3]
13.3[1][3]

    1997 Leverrier, provisional designation 1963 RC, is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter.

    It was discovered on 14 September 1963, by the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, United States, and named after French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier.[2][6]

    Classification and orbit

    Leverrier is a S-type asteroid and member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,199 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

    It was first identified as 1940 SF at Abastuman Observatory, Georgia. Its first used observation was made at Palomar Observatory in 1950, extending the body's observation arc by 13 years prior to the official discovery observation.[6]

    Physical characteristics

    In March 2016, a modeled rotation period for Leverrier was published using data from the Lowell Photometric Database (LPD). Using lightcurve inversion and convex shape models, as well as distributed computing power and the help of individual volunteers, a period of 8.015 hours could be obtained for this asteroid from the LPD's sparse-in-time photometry data (U=n.a.).[5]

    According to the survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, Leverrier measures 6.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.166.[4] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.181 and a concurring diameter of 6.8 kilometers, with an absolute magnitude of 13.3.[3] When using a generic magnitude-to-diameter conversion, its mean diameter is between 6 and 14 kilometers for an assumed albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[7]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after French mathematician Urbain Le Verrier (1811–1877). In 1846, he predicted the existence and position of the planet Neptune by applying the mathematics of celestial mechanics. The Martian and lunar craters Le Verrier are also named in his honor.[2] Its name was suggested by MPC-director Brian G. Marsden, after whom the minor planet 1877 Marsden is named.[8] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center before November 1977 (M.P.C. 4237).[9]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1997 Leverrier (1963 RC)" (2017-05-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 1 July 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1997) Leverrier. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 162. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "LCDB Data for (1997) Leverrier". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    4. 1 2 3 Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    5. 1 2 Durech, J.; Hanus, J.; Oszkiewicz, D.; Vanco, R. (March 2016). "Asteroid models from the Lowell photometric database". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 587: 6. Bibcode:2016A&A...587A..48D. arXiv:1601.02909 Freely accessible. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527573. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    6. 1 2 "1997 Leverrier (1963 RC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
    7. ↑ "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Retrieved 2014-06-24.
    8. ↑ Johnson, H. R. (January 1979). "Goethe Link Observatory, Indiana University, Bloomington, Indiana 47405. Report.". Bulletin of the Astronomical Society. 11: 141–144. Bibcode:1979BAAS...11..141J. Retrieved 15 December 2015.
    9. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
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