Astronomy:6708 Bobbievaile

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6708 Bobbievaile
Discovery [1]
Discovered byR. H. McNaught
Discovery siteSiding Spring Obs.
Discovery date4 January 1989
Designations
(6708) Bobbievaile
Named afterBobbie Vaile
(astrophysicist)[2]
1989 AA5 · 1979 PF
1989 CM9 · 1994 LB
Minor planet categorymain-belt · (inner)[3]
background
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc37.81 yr (13,811 days)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.8864 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.0045 AU
2.4455 AU
Eccentricity0.1803
Orbital period3.82 yr (1,397 days)
Mean anomaly349.25°
Mean motion0° 15m 27.72s / day
Inclination12.076°
Longitude of ascending node115.81°
193.50°
Known satellites1 (period: 24.7 h)[4][3]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions8.074±0.176 km[5]
Rotation period12.3415±0.0004 h[3]
Geometric albedo0.169±0.016[5]
S[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)13.1[1]


6708 Bobbievaile, provisional designation 1989 AA5, is a stony background asteroid and asynchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 4 January 1989, by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia.[6] It is named after Bobbie Vaile.[2]

Orbit and classification

Bobbievaile is a stony, non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,397 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

It was first observed as 1979 PF at El Leoncito in 1979, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation at Siding Spring.[6]

Binary asteroid

On 7 May 2009, it was announced that Bobbievaile was determined to be a binary asteroid based on a series of lightcurve observations. Bobbievaile (the primary) is estimated to have a diameter of 8.02±0.02 km, and its minor-planet moon (the secondary) to have a diameter of approximately 4.57 km.[4] The primary is probably spherical.

Naming

This minor planet was named in memory of Australian astrophysicist Roberta Anne "Bobbie" Vaile (1959–1996), lecturer at Western Sydney University. She was a SETI enthusiast and participated in both the establishment of the SETI Australia Centre and the conduction of Project Phoenix.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 April 1997 (M.P.C. 29671).[7]

References

External links