1299 Mertona

Modelled shape of Mertona, from its lightcurve

Discovery[1]
Discovered by| G. Reiss
Discovery site| Algiers Obs.
Discovery date| 18 January 1934
Designations

MPC designation

| (1299) Mertona
Named after| Gerald Merton
(English astronomer)[2]

Alternative designations

| 1934 BA
Minor planet category|

* main-belt[1][3] * (middle)
* background[4][5]

Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc| 82.85 yr (30,260 days)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}| 3.3325 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}| 2.2706 AU

Semi-major axis

| 2.8016 AU
Eccentricity| 0.1895
Orbital period| 4.69 yr (1,713 days)
Mean anomaly| 328.61°
Mean motion| 0° 12m 36.72s / day
Inclination| 7.8754°
Longitude of ascending node| 165.61°

|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}

| 260.44°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter| 14.140±0.322 km[6]
14.90±1.23 km[7]
Rotation period| 4.977±0.003 h[8]
Pole ecliptic latitude| (73.0°, 35.0°) (λ1/β1)[5]
Geometric albedo| 0.219±0.038[7]
0.243±0.033[6]

Spectral type

| unknown
Absolute magnitude (H)| 11.277±0.002 (R)[9] * 11.4[10][7] * 11.5[3][11]

1299 Mertona (prov. designation: 1934 BA) is a bright background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 18 January 1934, by French astronomer Guy Reiss at Algiers Observatory, Algeria, in northern Africa.[1] The likely stony asteroid with an unknown spectral type has a rotation period of 5.0 hours and measures approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in diameter. It was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton.[2]

## Contents

* 1 Orbit and classification
* 2 Naming
* 3 Physical characteristics
* 3.1 Rotation period
* 3.2 Diameter and albedo
* 4 References
* 5 External links

## Orbit and classification

Mertona 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] It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,713 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] As neither precoveries nor prior identifications were obtained, Mertona's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Algiers.[1]

## Naming

This minor planet was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton (1893–1983),[2] who was president of the British Astronomical Association between 1950 and 1952.[12] The naming was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 119).[2]

## Physical characteristics

### Rotation period

Several rotational lightcurves of Mertona were obtained during 2003–2016. Photometric observations were taken by astronomers Andy Monson and Steven Kipp (4.977±0.003 hours; Δ0.55 mag; {{{1}}}) in November 2003,[8] by French amateur astronomer René Roy (4.981±0.002 hours; Δ0.46 mag; U=3) in March 2005,[13] by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory (4.9787±0.0013 hours, Δ0.48 mag, {{{1}}}) in August 2012,[9] and by Daniel Klinglesmith (4.978±0.002 hours, Δ0.59 mag, U=3) at Etscorn Observatory (719) in Socorro, New Mexico.[14] In addition, a 2016-published lightcurve, modelling data from the Lowell photometric database, gave a concurring period of 4.97691±0.00001 hours and a spin axis of (73.0°, 35.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (U=n.a.).[15]

### Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Mertona measures between 14.14 and 14.90 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.219 and 0.243.[6][7] Although such a high albedo is typical for stony asteroids, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.057, which it uses as the generic albedo for all carbonaceous C-type asteroids. It therefore calculates a larger diameter of 27.90 kilometers (as the lower the albedo or reflectivity, the larger a body's diameter at an unchanged absolute magnitude or brightness).[11] Carbonaceous asteroids are the predominant type in the outer main-belt, while stony asteroids are mostly found in the inner regions of the asteroid belt.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "1299 Mertona (1934 BA)". Minor Planet Center. https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=1299.
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1299) Mertona". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 107. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1300. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. https://archive.org/details/dictionaryminorp00schm.
3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1299 Mertona (1934 BA)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2001299.
4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Asteroid 1299 Mertona – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. https://newton.spacedys.com/astdys/index.php?pc=1.1.6&n=1299.
5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Asteroid 1299 Mertona". Small Bodies Data Ferret. https://sbntools.psi.edu/ferret/SimpleSearch/results.action?targetName=1299+Mertona.
6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 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. https://sbnarchive.psi.edu/pds3/non_mission/EAR_A_COMPIL_5_NEOWISEDIAM_V1_0/data/neowise_mainbelt.tab. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
7. ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 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. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. Bibcode: 2011PASJ...63.1117U. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 Monson, Andy; Kipp, Steven (December 2004). "Corrigendum: Rotational periods of asteroids 1165 Imprinetta, 1299 Mertona 1645 Waterfield, 1833 Shmakova, 2313 Aruna, and (13856) 1999 XZ105". Minor Planet Bulletin 31 (4): 97. ISSN 1052-8091. Bibcode: 2004MPBu...31...97M. http://www.minorplanet.info/MPB/issues/MPB_31-4.pdf. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
9. ↑ 9.0 9.1 Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal 150 (3): 35. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Bibcode: 2015AJ....150...75W. http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2015AJ....150...75W. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
10. ↑ 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. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. Bibcode: 2011ApJ...741...90M.
11. ↑ 11.0 11.1 "LCDB Data for (1299) Mertona". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=1299|Mertona.
12. ↑ British Astronomical Association List of Members, 1969 April 30, London: British Astronomical Association, 1969, p. 116
13. ↑ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1299) Mertona". Geneva Observatory. http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page4cou.html#001299.
14. ↑ Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; Hanowell, Jesse; Risley, Ethan; Turk, Janek; Vargas, Angelica; Warren, Curtis Alan (July 2014). "Lightcurves for Inversion Model Candidates". Minor Planet Bulletin 41 (3): 139–143. ISSN 1052-8091. Bibcode: 2014MPBu...41..139K. http://www.minorplanet.info/MPB/issues/MPB_41-3.pdf. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
15. ↑ Ďurech, J.; Hanuš, J.; Oszkiewicz, D.; Vančo, R. (March 2016). "Asteroid models from the Lowell photometric database". Astronomy and Astrophysics 587: A48. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527573. ISSN 0004-6361. Bibcode: 2016A&A...587A..48D.

## External links

* 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
* 1299 Mertona at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
* Ephemeris * Observation prediction * Orbital info * Proper elements * Observational info
* 1299 Mertona at the JPL Small-Body Database
* Close approach * Discovery * Ephemeris * Orbit diagram * Orbital elements * Physical parameters

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