971 Alsatia

971 Alsatia
Discovery [1]
Discovered by A. Schaumasse
Discovery site Nice Observatory
Discovery date 23 November 1921
Designations
MPC designation 971 Alsatia
Named after
 Alsace (French province)[2]
1921 LF · 1961 AA
A908 UE
main-belt · Eunomia [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 107.30 yr (39190 days)
Aphelion 3.0646 AU (458.46 Gm)
Perihelion 2.2176 AU (331.75 Gm)
2.6411 AU (395.10 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.16036
4.29 yr (1567.7 d)
354.95°
0° 13m 46.668s / day
Inclination 13.774°
83.560°
6.0678°
Earth MOID 1.23278 AU (184.421 Gm)
Jupiter MOID 2.17278 AU (325.043 Gm)
Jupiter Tisserand parameter 3.336
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 63.75±1.7 km (IRAS: 11)[4]
60.71±0.88 km[5]
64.724±0.657 km[6]
62.92±0.58 km[7]
Mean radius
 31.875±0.85 km
9.614±0.003 h[8]
6.81±0.01 h[9]
9.600±0.007 h[10]
9.61±0.02 h[11]
9.614 h (0.4006 d)[1]
0.0415±0.002 (IRAS: 11)[1][4]
0.046±0.002[5]
0.0403±0.0078[6]
0.043±0.006[7]
B–V = 0.669
U–B = 0.298
SMASS = C
C [3]
10.05 (IRAS: 11)[1]

    971 Alsatia, provisional designation 1921 LF, is a large, carbonaceous asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, about 64 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by French astronomer Alexandre Schaumasse at Nice Observatory in southeastern France, on 23 November 1921.[12]

    The dark C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,568 days). Although the asteroid is of carbonaceous rather than silicaceous composition, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link classifies it as a member of the Eunomia family, a large group of otherwise S-type asteroids and the most prominent family in the intermediate main-belt.[3] Its orbit is tilted by 14 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic and shows an eccentricity of 0.16. Several concurring photometric light-curve analysis rendered a well-defined rotation period of 9.6 hours.[8][10][11] The body has an albedo between 0.04 and 0.05, according to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission.[4][5][6][7]

    The minor planet was named after the French province Alsace (regained from Germany after the First World War) in northeast France between the Rhine river and the Vosges mountains. In 1922, the discoverer proposed the name Alsace. However, the Astronomisches Rechen-Institut, then responsible for the naming of minor planets, changed the name in Alsatia.[2] The political status of Alsace has been heavily influenced by historical decisions, wars, and strategic politics.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 971 Alsatia (1921 LF)" (2015-11-14 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2 May 2016.
    2. 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (971) Alsatia. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 85. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    3. 1 2 3 "LCDB Data for (971) Alsatia". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    4. 1 2 3 Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    5. 1 2 3 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. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    6. 1 2 3 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:1109.6407Freely accessible. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    7. 1 2 3 Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; Cabrera, M. S. (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:1209.5794Freely accessible. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    8. 1 2 Warner, Brian D. (April 2012). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Palmer Divide Observatory: 2011 September - December". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (2): 69–80. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39...69W. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    9. ↑ Stephens, R. D. (September 2000). "Asteroid Photometry at Santana Observatory: Results for 691 Lehigh 762 Pulcova, and 971 Alsatia". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 27: 27–28. Bibcode:2000MPBu...27...27S. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    10. 1 2 Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (971) Alsatia". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    11. 1 2 Melton, Elizabeth; Carver, Spencer; Harris, Andrew; Karnemaat, Ryan; Klaasse, Matthew; Ditteon, Richard (July 2012). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory: 2011 November-December". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 39 (3): 131–133. Bibcode:2012MPBu...39..131M. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 21 December 2015.
    12. ↑ "971 Alsatia (1921 LF)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 21 December 2015.

    External links

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