803 Picka

Summary

803 Picka (prov. designation: A915 FL or 1915 WS) is a large and dark background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 21 March 1915, by Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa at the Vienna Observatory.[1] The carbonaceous D-type asteroid has a rotation period of 5.1 hours and measures approximately 57 kilometers (35 miles) in diameter. It was named after Czech physician Friedrich Pick (1867–1921).[2]

803 Picka
Modelled shape of Picka from its lightcurve
Discovery [1]
Discovered byJ. Palisa
Discovery siteVienna Obs.
Discovery date21 March 1915
Designations
(803) Picka
Named after
Friedrich Pick
(Czech physician)[2]
A915 FL · 1952 YH
1984 EC2 · A899 NE
A915 FD · 1915 WS
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc104.50 yr (38,169 d)
Aphelion3.4133 AU
Perihelion2.9929 AU
3.2031 AU
Eccentricity0.0656
5.73 yr (2,094 d)
338.93°
0° 10m 18.84s / day
Inclination8.6665°
250.95°
58.556°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
  • 46.50±2.2 km[7]
  • 57.41±0.95 km[8]
  • 69.165±8.353 km[9]
5.0742±0.0006 h[10]
  • (218.0°, 34.0°) (λ11)[5]
  • (53.0°, 41.0°) (λ22)[5]
  • 0.035±0.102[9]
  • 0.079±0.003[8]
  • 0.1181±0.012[7]

Orbit and classification edit

Picka is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[4][5][6] It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 3.0–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,094 days; semi-major axis of 3.2 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] On 8 July 1899, the asteroid was first observed as A899 NE at the Boyden Station (800) of the Harvard Observatory in Arequipa, Peru. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation by Johann Palisa at Vienna Observatory on 21 March 1915.[1]

Naming edit

This minor planet was named after Czech physician Friedrich Pick (1867–1921) from Prague , who was the first physician to introduce endoscopic methods in medicine. According to the 1917 edition of the astronomical calendar in German "Astronomischer Kalender für 1917", the asteroid was named by friends of the discoverer Johann Palisa. The naming was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 80).[2]

Physical characteristics edit

In the SDSS-based taxonomy, Picka is a dark D-type asteroid.[11] In the 1995 SMASS-I survey by Xu, it is classified as an uncommon T-type with some similarities to a D-type (TD).[5] The D-types asteroids are common in the outer main-belt and are very abundant among the Jupiter trojan population.

Rotation period edit

 
Lightcurve based 3D-model of Picka

In April 2007, a rotational lightcurve of Picka was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 5.0742±0.0006 hours with a high brightness variation of 0.47±0.01 magnitude, indicative of an elongated shape (U=3).[10] Alternative and lower-rated photometric observations were made by Jean-Gabriel Bosch in February 2006, and again by Pierre Antonini in November 2010, which gave a period of 5.13±0.05 and 5.0752±0.0003 hours with an amplitude of 0.43±0.03 and 0.12±0.01 magnitude (U=2/3–).[10]

Lightcurve inversion also modeled the body's shape and poles. In 2013, modelling by an international study using photometric data from the US Naval Observatory, the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue, the Palomar Transient Factory and the Catalina Sky Survey gave a concurring sidereal period of 5.07478±0.00002 hours and two spin axes at (218.0°, 34.0°) and (53.0°, 41.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β). The body's very elongated shape had already been indicated by the relatively high brightness variation measured during the direct photometric observations.[5][14]

Diameter and albedo edit

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), Picka measures (46.50±2.2), (57.41±0.95) and (69.165±8.353) kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of (0.1181±0.012), (0.079±0.003) and (0.035±0.102), respectively.[7][8][9] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1406 and a diameter of 46.72 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.4.[13] On 13 May 2015, an asteroid occultation of Picka gave a best-fit ellipse dimension of (57.0 km × 57.0 km), which is similar to that obtained by the Japanese Akari satellite. These timed observations are taken when the asteroid passes in front of a distant star. This observation still has received a low quality rating.[5]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c d e "803 Picka (A915 FL)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(803) Picka". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 75. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_804. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 803 Picka (A915 FL)" (2019-09-20 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Asteroid 803 Picka – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h "Asteroid 803 Picka". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  6. ^ a b Zappalà, V.; Bendjoya, Ph.; Cellino, A.; Farinella, P.; Froeschle, C. (1997). "Asteroid Dynamical Families". NASA Planetary Data System: EAR-A-5-DDR-FAMILY-V4.1. Retrieved 26 March 2020.} (PDS main page)
  7. ^ a b c d Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d 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. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  9. ^ a b c d Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; Kramer, E. A.; Masiero, J. R.; et al. (June 2016). "NEOWISE Diameters and Albedos V1.0". NASA Planetary Data System. Bibcode:2016PDSS..247.....M. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  10. ^ a b c Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (803) Picka". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  11. ^ a b Carvano, J. M.; Hasselmann, P. H.; Lazzaro, D.; Mothé-Diniz, T. (February 2010). "SDSS-based taxonomic classification and orbital distribution of main belt asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 510: 12. Bibcode:2010A&A...510A..43C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913322. Retrieved 26 March 2020. (PDS data set)
  12. ^ Warner, Brian D. (December 2007). "Initial Results of a Dedicated H-G Project" (PDF). Minor Planet Bulletin. 34 (4): 113–119. Bibcode:2007MPBu...34..113W. ISSN 1052-8091. Archived from the original (PDF) on 20 February 2020. Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  13. ^ a b "LCDB Data for (803) Picka". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 26 March 2020.
  14. ^ Hanuš, J.; Ďurech, J.; Brož, M.; Marciniak, A.; Warner, B. D.; Pilcher, F.; et al. (March 2013). "Asteroids' physical models from combined dense and sparse photometry and scaling of the YORP effect by the observed obliquity distribution". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 551: A67. arXiv:1301.6943. Bibcode:2013A&A...551A..67H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220701. ISSN 0004-6361.

External links edit

  • Lightcurve Database Query (LCDB), at www.minorplanet.info
  • Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
  • Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Geneva Observatory, Raoul Behrend
  • Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
  • 803 Picka at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
    • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
  • 803 Picka at the JPL Small-Body Database  
    • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters