976 Benjamina
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976 Benjamina (prov. designation: Template:Mp or Template:Mp) is a dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately Script error: No such module "convert". in diameter. It was discovered on 27 March 1922, by Russian-French astronomer Benjamin Jekhowsky at the Algiers Observatory in North Africa.[1] The large X/D-type asteroid has a rotation period of 9.7 hours and is likely regular in shape. It was named after the discoverer's son.[2]
Orbit and classification
Benjamina is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[3][4] It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.5 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,092 days; semi-major axis of 3.2 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[5]
The asteroid was first observed as Template:Mp (Template:Mp) at Heidelberg Observatory on 8 January 1910. The body's observation arc begins at the Crimean Simeiz Observatory in September 1930, more than 7 years after its official discovery observation at Algiers Observatory in March 1922.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named after Benjamin Jekhowsky Jr., son of discoverer Benjamin Jekhowsky. The Template:MoMP was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 93Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".).[2]
Physical characteristics
In the Tholen classification, and based on a noisy spectra (:), Benjamina is an X-type asteroid, somewhat similar to that of a dark D-type (XD), which are common in the outer asteroid belt and among the Jupiter trojan population.[5]
Rotation period and pole
In September 2004, a rotational lightcurve of Benjamina was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of Script error: No such module "val". hours with a brightness variation of Script error: No such module "val". magnitude (U=3Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".). Follow-up observation by his college René Roy in March 2018, determined a concurring period of Script error: No such module "val". hours but with a much higher amplitude of Script error: No such module "val". magnitude (U=2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".).[6][7] The objects first lightcurve was obtained by Colin Bembrick at Mount Tarana Observatory Template:Obscode in Australia in March 2003. It showed a period of Script error: No such module "val". hours with an amplitude of Script error: No such module "val". magnitude (U=2Script error: No such module "Check for unknown parameters".). The overall amplitude suggest a rather regular shape with a ratio of 0.86 for the length of the a and b axes.[8]
In 2018, Czech astronomers Josef Ďurech and Josef Hanuš published a modeled lightcurve using photometric data from the Gaia probe's second data release. It showed a sidereal period of Script error: No such module "val". hours, and gave a spin axis at (354.0°, 80.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[4][9]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), Benjamina measures Script error: No such module "val"., Script error: No such module "val". and Script error: No such module "val". kilometers in diameter with an albedo of its surface of Script error: No such module "val"., Script error: No such module "val". and Script error: No such module "val"., respectively.[10][11][12] Additional measurements by the WISE telescope were published giving a mean-diameter as low as Script error: No such module "val"., and as high as Script error: No such module "val"..[4][7]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the result from IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.0559 and a diameter of 80.53 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.22.[7]
The asteroid had been observed in 7 stellar occultation events since 2003.[13] On 19 July 2003 the mag. 5.7 star HIP 88816 was occulted by the asteroid,[14] and was observed at 11 stations; 1 in Argentina, 3 in New Zealand, and 7 in Australia. From these observations, the best-fit ellipse measures 85.2 x 56.2 ±12.4 kilometres.
References
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External links
- Lightcurve Database Query (LCDB), at www.minorplanet.info
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
- Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Geneva Observatory, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- Template:AstDys
- Template:PAGENAMEBASE at the JPL Small-Body DatabaseTemplate:EditAtWikidata
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