Astronomy:3202 Graff

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3202 Graff
Discovery [1]
Discovered byM. F. Wolf
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date3 January 1908
Designations
(3202) Graff
Named afterGareth V. Williams
(astronomer)[2]
A908 AA · 1981 ES13
Minor planet categorymain-belt[1] · Hilda [3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc109.02 yr (39,819 days)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}4.3883 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}3.4843 AU
3.9363 AU
Eccentricity0.1148
Orbital period7.81 yr (2,853 days)
Mean anomaly295.10°
Mean motion0° 7m 34.32s / day
Inclination11.107°
Longitude of ascending node205.14°
268.81°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions35.914±0.244[4]
36.78 km (calculated)[3]
Rotation period17.32±0.02 h[5]
Geometric albedo0.055±0.013[4]
0.057 (assumed)[3]
D[6] · C[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)10.9[1][3] · 11.31±0.28[6]


3202 Graff, provisional designation A908 AA, is a carbonaceous Hilda asteroid from the outermost region of the asteroid belt, approximately 36 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 3 January 1908, by German astronomer Max Wolf at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany.[7] The asteroid was named after astronomer Gareth V. Williams.[2]

Orbit and classification

Graff belongs to the Hilda family of asteroids, which are in a 3:2 orbital resonance with the giant planet Jupiter. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 3.5–4.4 AU once every 7 years and 10 months (2,853 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins 3 weeks after its discovery with its first used observation at Heidelberg.[7]

Physical characteristics

The dark C-type asteroid is classified as a rare D-type by Pan-STARRS' large-scale survey,[6]

In July 2015, a rotational lightcurve of Graff was obtained by astronomer Robert Stephens at the Center for Solar System Studies. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 17.32±0.02 hours with a brightness variation of 0.18 in magnitude ({{{1}}}).[5]

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Graff measures 35.9 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.055.[4] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 36.8 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.9.[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named after English-born astronomer Gareth "Graff" Vaughan Williams (born 1965), who identified various low-numbered asteroids among bodies that had been given provisional designations. His work at the Minor Planet Center (MPC) has received much recognition.[2]

The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 April 1990 (M.P.C. 16245),[8] based on a suggestion by long-time MPC director Brian G. Marsden (1937–2000) and by Conrad M. Bardwell (1926–2010), associate director of the MPC and who made the identification for this body.[2] The minor planets 1615 Bardwell and 1877 Marsden were named in honor of these two prominent astronomers at the MPC.

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3202 Graff (A908 AA)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2003202. 
  2. 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3202) Graff". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 266. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3203. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. 
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 "LCDB Data for (3202) Graff". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=3202%7CGraff. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J.; Masiero, J.; Spahr, T.; McMillan, R. S. et al. (January 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Hilda Population: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal 744 (2): 15. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/197. Bibcode2012ApJ...744..197G. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2012ApJ...744..197G. Retrieved 5 December 2016. 
  5. 5.0 5.1 Stephens, Robert D. (January 2016). "Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2015 July - September". The Minor Planet Bulletin 43 (1): 52–56. ISSN 1052-8091. Bibcode2016MPBu...43...52S. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2016MPBu...43...52S. Retrieved 10 July 2016. 
  6. 6.0 6.1 6.2 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. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Bibcode2015Icar..261...34V. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2015Icar..261...34V. Retrieved 10 July 2016. 
  7. 7.0 7.1 "3202 Graff (A908 AA)". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=3202. 
  8. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html. 

External links