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9321 Alexkonopliv

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9321 Alexkonopliv
Discovery [1]
Discovered byT. Kojima
Discovery siteYGCO Chiyoda Stn.
Discovery date5 January 1989
Designations
(9321) Alexkonopliv
Named after
Alex Konopliv
(JPL astronomer)[2]
1989 AK · 1977 VZ1
1977 XD · 1984 EK
main-belt · (outer)[3]
background
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc39.46 yr (14,413 days)
Aphelion3.9271 AU
Perihelion2.2953 AU
3.1112 AU
Eccentricity0.2623
5.49 yr (2,004 days)
95.027°
0° 10m 46.56s / day
Inclination4.3189°
89.167°
358.09°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions10.28±0.19 km[4]
11.48 km (calculated)[3]
3.4268±0.0010 h[5]
0.057 (assumed)[3]
0.116±0.023[4]
C[3]
13.0[1] · 12.93±0.18[6] · 12.90[4] · 12.979±0.002 (R)[5] · 13.43[3]

9321 Alexkonopliv, provisional designation 1989 AK, is a carbonaceous background asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter.

The asteroid was discovered on 5 January 1989, by Japanese astronomer Takuo Kojima at the YGCO Chiyoda Station, Japan.[7] It was named for JPL-scientist Alex Konopliv.[2]

Orbit and classification

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Alexkonopliv is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.3–3.9 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,004 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] In November 1977, it was first identified as 1977 VZ1 at the Purple Mountain Observatory, China, extending the body's observation arc by 12 years prior to its official discovery observation at Chiyoda Station.[7]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after JPL-scientist Alex Konopliv (born 1960), an internationally recognized authority on the measurement of the gravitational field of Solar System bodies tracked by satellites in Earth's orbit. Various Mars missions used his gravity field determinations for the Red Planet.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 October 1998 (M.P.C. 32610).[8]

Physical characteristics

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Rotation period

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In December 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Alexkonopliv was obtained from photometric observation at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.4268 hours with a brightness variation of 0.19 magnitude (U=2).[5]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Alexkonopliv measures 10.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.116,[4] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 11.5 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.43.[3]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 9321 Alexkonopliv (1989 AK)" (2017-05-01 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (9321) Alexkonopliv. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 682. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (9321) Alexkonopliv". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. S2CID 8342929. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  6. ^ 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. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  7. ^ a b "9321 Alexkonopliv (1989 AK)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 May 2016.
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