1677 Tycho Brahe, provisional designation 1940 RO, is a stony Marian asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers (7.5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 6 September 1940, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland.[1] The common stony S-type asteroid has a short rotation period of 3.89 hours.[5] It was later named after Tycho Brahe, one of the fathers of astronomy.[2]
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Y. Väisälä |
Discovery site | Turku Obs. |
Discovery date | 6 September 1940 |
Designations | |
(1677) Tycho Brahe | |
Named after | Tycho Brahe[2] (Danish astronomer) |
1940 RO · 1928 SP 1935 FL · 1952 QN1 1952 SD1 · A916 UA | |
main-belt[1][3] · (middle) Maria[4] · Eunomia[5] | |
Orbital characteristics[3] | |
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 82.92 yr (30,285 d) |
Aphelion | 2.8037 AU |
Perihelion | 2.2607 AU |
2.5322 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1072 |
4.03 yr (1,472 d) | |
130.28° | |
0° 14m 40.56s / day | |
Inclination | 14.853° |
337.91° | |
318.29° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 8.90±0.72 km[6] 11.686±0.116 km[7] 11.784±0.093 km[8] 13.26 km (calculated)[5] |
3.89±0.06 h[9] | |
0.21 (assumed)[5] 0.221±0.031[8] 0.2277±0.0388[7] 0.466±0.090[6] | |
S[5][10][a] | |
11.70[3][5][6] 11.9[7] 12.21±0.04[10] | |
When applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements, Tycho Brahe is a member of the Maria family (506),[4] a large family of stony asteroids.[11]: 23 Based on osculating Keplerian orbital elements, the asteroid has also been classified as a member of the Eunomia family (502), the largest family in the intermediate main belt with more than 5,000 members.[5]
It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3–2.8 AU once every 4.03 years (1,472 days; semi-major axis of 2.53 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] The asteroid was first observed as A916 UA at Bergedorf Observatory in October 1916, extending the body's observation arc by 24 years prior to its official discovery observation at Turku.[1]
The asteroid has been characterized as a stony S-type by Pan-STARRS survey, and in the SDSS-MFB (Masi Foglia Binzel) taxonomy,[5][10][a] which agree with the overall spectral type for members of the Maria family.[11]: 23
In July 2012, a rotational lightcurve of Tycho Brahe was obtained by Renata Violante and Martha Leake, that gave a short rotation period of 3.89 hours with a brightness variation of 0.38 magnitude (U=2+).[5][9]
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Tycho Brahe measures 11.78 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.221 (revised 2014-figures).[8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.21, derived from the family's largest member and namesake, 15 Eunomia, and calculates a diameter of 13.26 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 11.7.[5]
This minor planet is named for the great Danish-born astronomer Tycho Brahe (1546–1601) an early forerunner and father of modern astronomy. He is known for his unprecedented precise measurements in the pre-telescopic era.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4236).[12] Brahe is also honored by the prominent crater Tycho in the southern highlands of the Moon and by the Martian crater Tycho Brahe.[2] The bright supernova, SN 1572, is also known as Tycho's Nova.