1939 Loretta

1939 Loretta
Discovery [1]
Discovered by C. Kowal
Discovery site Palomar Obs.
Discovery date 17 October 1974
Designations
MPC designation 1939 Loretta
Named after
 Loretta Kowal
(daughter of discoverer)[2]
1974 UC · 1934 JE
1934 LQ · 1939 EH
1939 GP · 1950 DT
1950 ES · 1951 MF
1955 CA · 1969 TE5
1975 TZ5 · 1975 XW
main-belt · Themistian [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 13 January 2016 (JD 2457400.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 66.08 yr (24136 days)
Aphelion 3.5202 AU (526.61 Gm)
Perihelion 2.7260 AU (407.80 Gm)
3.1231 AU (467.21 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.12716
5.52 yr (2015.9 d)
277.42°
0° 10m 42.888s / day
Inclination 0.90735°
40.415°
189.97°
Earth MOID 1.71479 AU (256.529 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 1.46797 AU (219.605 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter 3.203
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 29.96 km
29.08±0.51 km[4]
30.243±0.335 km[5]
26.34±0.46 km[6]
29.87 km (derived)[3]
Mean radius
 14.98 ± 0.85 km
25 h (1.0 d)[1][7]
0.0942
0.103±0.004[4]
0.0927±0.0089[5]
0.101±0.020[6]
0.0788 (derived)[3]
0.0942 ± 0.012[1]
C [3]
11.1

    1939 Loretta, provisional designation 1974 UC, is a dark, carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, about 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Charles T. Kowal at Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California on 17 October 1974.[8]

    The C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.5 AU once every five and a half years (2,014 days). With a semi-major axis of 3.12 AU, an eccentricity of 0.13 and a nearly coplanar orbit to the ecliptic– inclined by only 0.9 degrees, it is a typical member of the Themis family, a large group of outer-belt asteroids with similar orbital and spectral characteristics, named after the family's namesake and largest member, 24 Themis.[1][3]

    Loretta has a relatively long rotation period of 25 hours, as measured by French astronomer Pierre Antonini in 2011.[7] Its geometric albedo of 0.103±0.004, 0.0927±0.0089 and 0.101±0.020 has been determined by the Akari, WISE and NEOWISE surveys, respectively.[4][5][6]

    The discoverer named the Themistian asteroid after his daughter, Loretta Kowal.[2]

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1939 Loretta (1974 UC)" (2015-10-11 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 18 April 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1939) Loretta. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 155. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved November 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 4 5 "LCDB Data for (1939) Loretta". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved November 2015.
    4. 1 2 3 Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. Retrieved November 2015.
    5. 1 2 3 Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved November 2015.
    6. 1 2 3 Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; Cabrera, M. S. (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. Retrieved November 2015.
    7. 1 2 Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1939) Loretta". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved November 2015.
    8. ↑ "1939 Loretta (1974 UC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved November 2015.

    External links


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