7866 Sicoli, provisional designation 1982 TK, is a stony Nysa asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 13 October 1982, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona.[7] The asteroid was named after Italian astronomer Piero Sicoli.[2]

7866 Sicoli
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. Bowell
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date13 October 1982
Designations
(7866) Sicoli
Named after
Piero Sicoli
(discoverer of minor planets)[2]
1982 TK · 1954 CT
1959 OD
main-belt · Nysa[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc63.01 yr (23,016 days)
Aphelion2.9392 AU
Perihelion1.9165 AU
2.4279 AU
Eccentricity0.2106
3.78 yr (1,382 days)
112.12°
0° 15m 37.8s / day
Inclination3.4801°
77.978°
253.20°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5.604±0.199 km[4][5]
6.34 km (calculated)[3]
0.21 (assumed)[3]
0.2455±0.0504[5]
0.246±0.050[4]
S[3]
13.28±0.28[6] · 13.3[1][3] · 13.4[5]

Orbit and classification

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Sicoli is a member of the stony subgroup of the Nysa family, one of the smaller families in the main-belt, named after its namesake, 44 Nysa. The body orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,382 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first precovery was taken at Palomar Mountain in 1954, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 28 years prior to its discovery.[7]

Physical characteristics

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Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Sicoli measures 6.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.246,[4][5] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.21 and calculates a diameter of 5.6 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 13.3.[3]

Lightcurves

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As of 2016, no rotational lightcurve has been obtained for this asteroid and its rotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named in honor of Italian astronomer Piero Sicoli (born 1954), a discoverer of minor planets and Observation Coordinator at the Sormano Astronomical Observatory in northern Italy.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 July 1999 (M.P.C. 35488).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 7866 Sicoli (1982 TK)" (2017-02-15 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 5 March 2017. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(7866) Sicoli". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (7866) Sicoli. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 620. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_6718. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (7866) Sicoli". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 4 November 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. ^ 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 4 November 2016.
  7. ^ a b "7866 Sicoli (1982 TK)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 November 2016.
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