1373 Cincinnati, provisional designation , is an
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet—an object larger than a meteoroid that is neither a planet nor an identified comet—that orbits within the Solar System#Inner Solar System, inner Solar System or is co-orbital with Jupiter (Trojan asteroids). As ...
in a comet-like orbit from the
Cybele region,
[ located at the outermost rim of the ]asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, centered on the Sun and roughly spanning the space between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids ...
, approximately in diameter. It was the only asteroid discovery made by famous American astronomer Edwin Hubble
Edwin Powell Hubble (November 20, 1889 – September 28, 1953) was an American astronomer. He played a crucial role in establishing the fields of extragalactic astronomy and observational cosmology.
Hubble proved that many objects previously ...
, while observing distant galaxies at Mount Wilson Observatory
The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an Observatory#Astronomical observatories, astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson (California), Mount Wilson, a peak in the San Gabrie ...
in California on 30 August 1935. The rather spherical X-type asteroid
The X-group of asteroids collects together several types with similar spectra, but probably quite different compositions.
Tholen classification
In the Tholen classification, the X-group consists of the following types:
* E-type – with high ...
has a rotation period
In astronomy, the rotation period or spin period of a celestial object (e.g., star, planet, moon, asteroid) has two definitions. The first one corresponds to the '' sidereal rotation period'' (or ''sidereal day''), i.e., the time that the objec ...
of 5.3 hours. It was named for the Cincinnati Observatory
The Cincinnati Observatory, known locally as Mt. Lookout Observatory, is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout, Ohio, Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28&n ...
.
Orbit and classification
''Cincinnati'' orbits the Sun in the outermost asteroid belt at a distance of 2.3–4.5 AU once every 6 years and 4 months (2,311 days; semi-major axis
In geometry, the major axis of an ellipse is its longest diameter: a line segment that runs through the center and both foci, with ends at the two most widely separated points of the perimeter. The semi-major axis (major semiaxis) is the longe ...
of 3.42 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity
Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to:
* Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal"
Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics
* Off-Centre (geometry), center, in geometry
* Eccentricity (g ...
of 0.31 and an inclination
Orbital inclination measures the tilt of an object's orbit around a celestial body. It is expressed as the angle between a reference plane and the orbital plane or axis of direction of the orbiting object.
For a satellite orbiting the Eart ...
of 39 ° with respect to the ecliptic
The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of Earth's orbit, Earth around the Sun. It was a central concept in a number of ancient sciences, providing the framework for key measurements in astronomy, astrology and calendar-making.
Fr ...
. The body's observation arc
In observational astronomy, the observation arc (or arc length) of a Solar System body is the time period between its earliest and latest observations, used for tracing the body's path. It is usually given in days or years. The term is mostly use ...
begins with its official discovery observation at Mount Wilson in August 1935.
''Cincinnati'', a non-family
Family (from ) is a Social group, group of people related either by consanguinity (by recognized birth) or Affinity (law), affinity (by marriage or other relationship). It forms the basis for social order. Ideally, families offer predictabili ...
asteroid of the main belt's background population, is located in the orbital region of the Cybele asteroids
The Cybele asteroids (also known as the "Cybeles") are a dynamical group of asteroids, named after the asteroid 65 Cybele. Considered by some as the last outpost of an extended asteroid belt, the group consists of just over 2000 members an ...
, the last outpost of an extended asteroid belt beyond the Hecuba-gap asteroid A Hecuba-gap asteroid is a member of a dynamical group of resonant asteroids located in the Hecuba gap at 3.27 AU – one of the largest Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt, which is considered the borderline separating the outer main belt as ...
s. Due to its high inclination, and contrary to all other Cybele asteroids, ''Cincinnati'' is the only one that is above the center of the ν6 secular resonance A secular resonance is a type of orbital resonance between two bodies with synchronized precessional frequencies. In celestial mechanics, secular refers to the long-term motion of a system, and resonance is periods or frequencies being a simple nu ...
with Saturn. The asteroid's high inclination and eccentricity also results in a Tisserand's parameter
Tisserand's parameter (or Tisserand's invariant) is a number calculated from several orbital elements (semi-major axis, orbital eccentricity, and inclination) of a relatively small object and a larger " perturbing body". It is used to distinguish d ...
(TJupiter) of 2.719, which makes it a true asteroid in cometary orbit (ACO) for having a TJupiter value below 3.
Naming
Recommended by the Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Funct ...
, this minor planet
According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''minor ...
was named after the Cincinnati Observatory
The Cincinnati Observatory, known locally as Mt. Lookout Observatory, is located in Cincinnati, Ohio, Cincinnati, Ohio (United States) on top of Mount Lookout, Ohio, Mount Lookout. It consists of two observatory buildings housing an 11-inch (28&n ...
, whose staff provided most of the orbit computations. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Funct ...
on 31 January 1962 ().
Physical characteristics
In the SMASS classification
An asteroid spectral type is assigned to asteroids based on their reflectance spectrum, color, and sometimes albedo. These types are thought to correspond to an asteroid's surface composition. For small bodies that are not internally different ...
, ''Cincinnati'' is a Xk-type, a subtype that transitions from the X-type to the uncommon K-type asteroid
K-type asteroids are relatively uncommon asteroids with a moderately reddish spectrum shortwards of 0.75 μm, and a slight bluish trend longwards of this. They have a low albedo. Their spectrum resembles that of CV and CO meteorites. A larger K ty ...
s, while the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE, List of observatory codes, observatory code C51, Explorer 92 and MIDEX-6) was a NASA infrared astronomy Space observatory, space telescope in the Explorers Program launched in December 2009.. . WISE L ...
classifies it as a metallic M-type asteroid
M-type (metallic-type, aka M-class) asteroids are a spectral class of asteroids which appear to contain higher concentrations of metal phases (e.g. iron-nickel) than other asteroid classes, and are widely thought to be the source of iron meteorit ...
. By 2014, ''Cincinnati'' is the only of three Cybele asteroids for which a spectral type
In astronomy, stellar classification is the classification of stars based on their spectral characteristics. Electromagnetic radiation from the star is analyzed by splitting it with a prism or diffraction grating into a spectrum exhibiting the ...
has been determined; the other two are 522 Helga and 692 Hippodamia, an X- and S-type, respectively.
Rotation period
In January 2018, a rotational lightcurve
In astronomy, a light curve is a graph (discrete mathematics), graph of the Radiance, light intensity of a celestial object or region as a function of time, typically with the magnitude (astronomy), magnitude of light received on the ''y''-axis ...
of ''Cincinnati'' was obtained from photometric observations by Henk de Groot. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period
In astronomy, the rotation period or spin period of a celestial object (e.g., star, planet, moon, asteroid) has two definitions. The first one corresponds to the '' sidereal rotation period'' (or ''sidereal day''), i.e., the time that the objec ...
of hours and a brightness variation of 0.10 magnitude
Magnitude may refer to:
Mathematics
*Euclidean vector, a quantity defined by both its magnitude and its direction
*Magnitude (mathematics), the relative size of an object
*Norm (mathematics), a term for the size or length of a vector
*Order of ...
(). The low brightness amplitude is indicative that is asteroid is rather spherical than elongated in shape.
Alternative period determinations were made by French amateur astronomer René Roy (5.274 h; Δ0.21 mag) in August 2004 (). Two more lightcurves were obtained by Brian Warner at this Palmer Divide Observatory
This is a list of observatory codes (IAU codes or MPC codes) published by the Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomi ...
in Colorado, United States, in August 2004 and August 2010, who measured a period of 4.930 and 5.28 hours with an amplitude of 0.11 and 0.14 magnitude, respectively.
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE
Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE, observatory code C51, Explorer 92 and MIDEX-6) was a NASA infrared astronomy space telescope in the Explorers Program launched in December 2009.. . WISE discovered thousands of minor planets and nu ...
mission of NASA's WISE telescope, ''Cincinnati'' measures between 19.4 and 19.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo
Albedo ( ; ) is the fraction of sunlight that is Diffuse reflection, diffusely reflected by a body. It is measured on a scale from 0 (corresponding to a black body that absorbs all incident radiation) to 1 (corresponding to a body that reflects ...
of 0.15–0.16, while the Japanese Akari satellite determined a diameter of 22.16 kilometers with an albedo of 0.12. The ''Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link'' assumes a standard albedo for a carbonaceous Carbonaceous refers to something relating to, containing, or composed of carbon. It is a descriptor used for the attribute of any substance rich in carbon. Particularly, ''carbonaceous hydrocarbons'' are very unsaturated, high- molecular-weight h ...
asteroid of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 27.9 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.5.
Notes
References
External links
Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)
query form
)
Dictionary of Minor Planet Names
Google books
– Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
– Minor Planet Center
*
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001373
Named minor planets
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