3202 Graff
Minorplanetyes
Background
  1. D6D6D6
Discovered3 January 1908
DiscovererM. F. Wolf
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Mpc name(3202) Graff
Alt namesA908 AA ·
Named afterGareth V. Williams
(astronomer)[1]
Mp categorymain-belt[2] · Hilda[3]
Epoch4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty0
Observation arc109.02 yr (39,819 days)
Aphelion4.3883 AU
Perihelion3.4843 AU
Semimajor3.9363 AU
Eccentricity0.1148
Period7.81 yr (2,853 days)
Mean anomaly295.10°
Mean motion/ day
Inclination11.107°
Asc node205.14°
Arg peri268.81°
Dimensions35.914 ± 0.244[4]
36.78 km (calculated)[3]
Rotation17.32 ± 0.02 h[5]
Albedo0.055 ± 0.013[4]
0.057 (assumed)[3]
Abs magnitude10.9[2][3] · 11.31 ± 0.28[6]

3202 Graff, provisional designation , 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.[1]

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.[2] 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 (U=3-).[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.[1]

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.[1] The minor planets 1615 Bardwell and 1877 Marsden were named in honor of these two prominent astronomers at the MPC.

References

  1. ^ 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.
  2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3202 Graff (A908 AA)" (2017-01-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
  3. ^ No. 3202. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  4. ^ 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. arXiv:1110.0283. Bibcode:2012ApJ...744..197G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/197. S2CID 44000310. Retrieved 5 December 2016.
  5. ^ Stephens, Robert D. (January 2016). "Asteroids Observed from CS3: 2015 July - September". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 43 (1): 52–56. Bibcode:2016MPBu...43...52S. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 10 July 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 July 2016.
  7. ^ "3202 Graff (A908 AA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 July 2016.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 July 2016.