Modelled shape of Mertona, from its lightcurve | |
Discovery[1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | G. Reiss |
Discovery site | Algiers Obs. |
Discovery date | 18 January 1934 |
Designations | |
(1299) Mertona | |
Named after | Gerald Merton (English astronomer)[2] |
1934 BA | |
Minor planet category | |
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 |
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° |
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] |
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]
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]
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]
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]
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.
Original source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1299 Mertona.
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