1490 Limpopo, provisional designation 1936 LB, is a carbonaceous–metallic asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 18 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 14 June 1936, by English-born South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa.[13] It was named for the Limpopo River.[2]

1490 Limpopo
Lightcurve based 3D-model of Limpopo
Discovery[1]
Discovered byC. Jackson
Discovery siteJohannesburg Obs.
Discovery date14 June 1936
Designations
(1490) Limpopo
Named after
Limpopo River[2]
1936 LB · 1931 BL
1937 WJ · 1937 YK
1947 ND · 1965 OD
main-belt · (inner)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc85.81 yr (31,341 days)
Aphelion2.7182 AU
Perihelion1.9869 AU
2.3525 AU
Eccentricity0.1554
3.61 yr (1,318 days)
63.865°
0° 16m 23.16s / day
Inclination10.020°
254.27°
90.817°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions14.844±0.112[4]
16.358±0.045 km[5]
18.55 km (derived)[3]
18.58±1.4 km[6]
19.35±0.27 km[7]
20.21±0.36 km[8]
6.15±0.1 h[9]
6.426±0.003 h[10]
6.647±0.004 h[11]
0.068±0.011[7][4]
0.069±0.003[8]
0.0742 (derived)[3]
0.0811±0.014[6]
0.1048±0.0332[5]
SMASS = Xc[1] · M[5] · X[3]
11.33±0.82[12] · 12.0[5][6][8] · 12.1[1][3][7]

Orbit

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Limpopo orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,318 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins 2 weeks prior to its official discovery observation. Its first identification as 1931 BL at Lowell Observatory in 1931 remains unused.[13]

Rotation period

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Between August and November 2005, three rotational lightcurves of Limpopo were obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi, Pedro Sada at the Mexican Monterrey Observatory, and Dicy Saylor at University of Georgia, United States. The lightcurves gave a rotation period between 6.15 and 6.647 hours with a brightness variation of 0.15–0.26 magnitude (U=2-/3/3).[9][10][11]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Limpopo measures between 14.84 and 20.21 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.068 and 0.105.[4][5][6][7][8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0742 and a diameter of 18.55 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.1.[3] The X-type asteroid is also classified as a metallic M-type by WISE and as a carbonaceous intermediate Xc-type in the SMASS taxonomy.[1][5]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after the Limpopo River, which rises in central southern Africa, and flows through Botswana, Mozambique, South Africa and Zimbabwe into the Indian Ocean.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center in April 1953 (M.P.C. 909).[14]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1490 Limpopo (1936 LB)" (2016-11-07 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1490) Limpopo". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1490) Limpopo. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 119. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1491. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1490) Limpopo". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d e f 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.
  6. ^ a b c d Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  7. ^ 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. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d 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. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  9. ^ a b Saylor, Dicy Ann; Leake, Martha A. (February 2012). "Rotation Periods of 8 Main Belt Asteroids Observed in 2003-2010" (PDF). Journal of the Southeastern Association for Research in Astronomy. 5: 25–28. Bibcode:2012JSARA...5...25S. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  10. ^ a b Sada, Pedro V. (December 2006). "CCD photometry of asteroids 276 Adelheid, 1490 Limpopo, and 2221 Chilton from the Universidad de Monterrey Observatory". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 33 (4): 78–79. Bibcode:2006MPBu...33...78S. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  11. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1490) Limpopo". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  12. ^ 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. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  13. ^ a b "1490 Limpopo (1936 LB)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 December 2016.
  14. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.
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