Astronomy:2608 Seneca
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H.-E. Schuster |
| Discovery site | La Silla Obs. |
| Discovery date | 17 February 1978 |
| Designations | |
| (2608) Seneca | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsɛnɪkə/ SEN-ik-ə[4] |
| Named after | Seneca the Younger (Roman philosopher)[2] |
| 1978 DA | |
| Minor planet category | NEO · Amor [1][3] |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 1 | |
| Observation arc | 38.92 yr (14,217 days) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 3.9532 AU |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 1.0777 AU |
| 2.5154 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.5716 |
| Orbital period | 3.99 yr (1,457 days) |
| Mean anomaly | 353.12° |
| Mean motion | 0° 14m 49.56s / day |
| Inclination | 14.682° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 167.37° |
| 37.350° | |
| Earth MOID | 0.1321 AU · 51.5 LD |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 0.9 km[1][5][6] 1.0±0.3[6] |
| Rotation period | 8 h[6] |
| Geometric albedo | 0.15±0.03[6] 0.20 (derived)[5] 0.21[1] |
| Tholen = S [1] · S [5] B–V = 0.826[1] U–B = 0.454[1] | |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.52[1] · 17.59[5][7] · 17.73[6] |
2608 Seneca, provisional designation 1978 DA, is a stony asteroid and sub-kilometer near-Earth object of the Amor group, approximately 0.9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 February 1978, by German astronomer Hans-Emil Schuster at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile, and named after Roman philosopher Seneca.[2][3]
Orbit
Seneca orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.1–4.0 AU once every 3 years and 12 months (1,457 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.57 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation in 1978, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.[3]
Close approaches
Seneca has an Earth minimum orbital intersection distance of 0.1321 AU (19,800,000 km), which corresponds to 51.5 lunar distances.[1] On 22 March 2062, it will pass 0.254 AU (38,000,000 km) from the Earth.[8]
Physical characteristics
In the Tholen taxonomy, Seneca is a stony S-type asteroid.[1]
Photometry
In March 1978, a photometric observations taken by Degewij and Lebofsky at the Lunar and Planetary Laboratory, Arizona, using a 154-cm reflector, gave a rotational lightcurve with a rotation period of 8 hours and a brightness amplitude of 0.4 (0.5) magnitude ({{{1}}}).[6]
Radiometry
In addition, radiometric observations by L. and M. Lebofsky with the 71-cm reflector gave a mean-diameter of 1.0±0.3 kilometers and albedo of 0.15±0.03.[6]
Diameter and albedo
The Minor Planet Center classifies Seneca as an object larger than 1 kilometer ("1+ KM Near-Earth Object"),[3] while Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.20 and a diameter of 0.9 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 17.59.[5] In 1994, astronomer Tom Gehrels published a diameter of 0.9 kilometers with an albedo of 0.21 in his Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named after Roman philosopher and statesman Lucius Annaeus Seneca (c. 4 BC – AD 65), also known as "Seneca the Younger" or simply "Seneca".[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 8 April 1982 (M.P.C. 6835).[9] The lunar crater Seneca was also named in his honor.[2]
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2608 Seneca (1978 DA)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2002608. Retrieved 3 July 2017.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2608) Seneca". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2608) Seneca. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 213. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2609. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "2608 Seneca (1978 DA)". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=2608. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ Seneca (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Seneca (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 "LCDB Data for (2608) Seneca". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=2608%7CSeneca. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 6.3 6.4 6.5 6.6 Degewij, J.; Lebofsky, L.; Lebofsky, M. (March 1978). "1978 CA and 1978 DA". IAU Circ. 3193 (3193): 1. Bibcode: 1978IAUC.3193....1D. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=1978IAUC.3193....1D. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ Schuster, H. E.; Surdej, A.; Surdej, J. (September 1979). "Photoelectric observations of two unusual asteroids - 1978 CA and 1978 DA". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 37: 483–486. Bibcode: 1979A&AS...37..483S. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=1979A&AS...37..483S. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
- ↑ "JPL Close-Approach Data: 2608 Seneca (1978 DA)". https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=Seneca;cad=1#cad. Retrieved 15 April 2016.
- ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html. Retrieved 26 March 2017.
External links
- Hazards Due to Comets and Asteroids, Tom Gehrels (1994/5)
- 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
- 2608 Seneca at NeoDyS-2, Near Earth Objects—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Obs prediction · Orbital info · MOID · Proper elements · Obs info · Close · Physical info · NEOCC
- 2608 Seneca at ESA–space situational awareness
- 2608 Seneca at the JPL Small-Body Database
 |  |
