1837 Osita (prov. designation: 1971 QZ1) is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 16 August 1971, by American astronomer James Gibson at the Yale–Columbia Southern Station of the Leoncito Astronomical Complex in Argentina, who named it after his wife Ursula ("Osita").[12]

1837 Osita
Shape model of Osita from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byJ. Gibson
Discovery siteEl Leoncito Complex
Discovery date16 August 1971
Designations
(1837) Osita
Named after
Ursula Gibson
(astronomer's wife)[2]
1971 QZ1 · 1962 XQ
1968 QB1 · 1972 YJ1
main-belt · Flora[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc54.27 yr (19,823 days)
Aphelion2.3955 AU
Perihelion2.0158 AU
2.2057 AU
Eccentricity0.0861
3.28 yr (1,196 days)
93.913°
0° 18m 3.24s / day
Inclination3.8455°
280.93°
315.11°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7.14 km (calculated)[3]
7.530±0.119[4]
7.693±0.061 km[5]
7.85±0.29 km[6]
7.94±0.58 km[7]
3.8186±0.0020 h[8]
3.81862±0.0001 [9]
3.81880±0.00005 h[10]
0.194±0.030[7]
0.198±0.024[6]
0.2067±0.0254[5]
0.216±0.019[4]
0.24 (assumed)[3]
AQ[11] · S[3]
12.674±0.001 (R)[8] · 12.81±0.23[11] · 12.9[1][3][5][6][7]

Orbit and classification

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The S-type asteroid is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.4 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,196 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Osita was first identified as 1962 XQ at Goethe Link Observatory in 1962, extending the body's observation arc by 9 years prior to its official discovery observation.[12]

Physical characteristics

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PanSTARRS's large-scale survey also classified Osita as a rare AQ-type, having intermediate spectral characteristics of an A and Q type asteroid.[11]

Rotation period

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In February 2006, a rotational lightcurve of Osita was obtained from photometric observation by French amateur astronomer René Roy, giving a well-defined rotation period of 3.81880 hours with a brightness variation of 0.48 magnitude (U=3).[9] Photometric observations in the R-band at the Palomar Transient Factory in October 2011, gave a concurring period of 3.8186 hours and an amplitude of 0.59 magnitude (U=2).[8] A third period of 3.81880 hours was derived from a large international data-mining collaboration in February 2016 (U=n.a.).[10]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Osita measures between 7.53 and 7.94 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.194 and 0.216.[4][5][6][7]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the largest member and namesake of this orbital family – and calculates a diameter of 7.14 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.9.[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named by the discoverer for his wife Ursula ("Osita" is the Spanish equivalent). She volunteered as an assistant and actively participated in the observations by measuring or reducing more than 150 positions of comets and minor planets.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3935).[13]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1837 Osita (1971 QZ1)" (2017-03-11 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 8 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1837) Osita". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1837) Osita. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 147. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1838. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1837) Osita". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 14 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 14 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b c d 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 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 14 December 2016.
  7. ^ 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)
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1837) Osita". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  10. ^ a b Hanus, J.; Durech, J.; Oszkiewicz, D. A.; Behrend, R.; Carry, B.; Delbo, M.; et al. (February 2016). "New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 586: 24. arXiv:1510.07422. Bibcode:2016A&A...586A.108H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527441. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  11. ^ a b c 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 14 December 2016.
  12. ^ a b "1837 Osita (1971 QZ1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 December 2016.
  13. ^ 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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