1430 Somalia, provisional designation 1937 NK, is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 July 1937, by astronomer Cyril Jackson at the Union Observatory in Johannesburg.[14] It was named for the African country of Somalia.[2]
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | C. Jackson |
Discovery site | Johannesburg Obs. |
Discovery date | 5 July 1937 |
Designations | |
(1430) Somalia | |
Named after | Somalia[2] (African country) |
1937 NK · 1929 RQ 1954 UR1 · 1957 HT 1962 VF | |
main-belt · (middle) background[3] · Astraea[4] | |
Orbital characteristics[1] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 79.73 yr (29,122 days) |
Aphelion | 3.0674 AU |
Perihelion | 2.0508 AU |
2.5591 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1986 |
4.09 yr (1,495 days) | |
184.53° | |
0° 14m 26.88s / day | |
Inclination | 3.2883° |
327.25° | |
351.42° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 8.77±1.58 km[5] 9.352±0.133 km[6] 9.44±0.36 km[7] 9.674±0.089 km[8] 10.79 km (calculated)[9] |
6.90907±0.00005 h[10] 6.910±0.001 h[11] 6.913±0.001 h[12] | |
0.1436±0.0287[8] 0.153±0.032[6] 0.162±0.014[7] 0.20 (assumed)[9] 0.31±0.14[5] | |
S (assumed)[9] | |
12.1[1] · 12.2[9] · 12.35±0.35[13] · 12.41[5] · 12.80[7][8] | |
Based on the hierarchical clustering method, Somalia is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population (Nesvorný),[3] as well as a core member of the Astraea family (Milani and Knežević).[4] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,495 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
The asteroid was first identified as 1929 RQ at Simeiz or Lowell observatories in September 1929. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Johannesburg in 1937.[14]
Somalia is an assumed stony S-type asteroid.[9]
In 2011, two rotational lightcurves of Somalia were obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer René Roy, and by astronomers at the Bassano Bresciano Observatory (565) in Italy. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 6.910 and 6.913 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.40 and 0.45 magnitude, respectively (U=3-/3).[11][12]
In 2016, a modeled lightcurve was derived from various photometric database sources, giving a concurring sidereal period of 6.90907 hours. The modelled lightcurve also determined two spin axis of (297.0°, 42.0°) and (128.0°, 47.0°) in ecliptic coordinates.[10]
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Somalia measures between 8.77 and 9.674 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1436 and 0.31.[5][6][7][8]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 10.79 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.2.[9]
This minor planet was named after the country of Somalia, located in the Horn of Africa.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5181).[15]