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| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana University (Indiana Asteroid Program) |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 16 September 1952 |
| Designations | |
| (2023) Asaph | |
| Named after | Asaph Hall (American astronomer)[2] |
| 1952 SA | |
| Minor planet category | main-belt · (outer)[3] |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 64.53 yr (23,571 days) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 3.6816 AU |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.0703 AU |
| 2.8760 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2801 |
| Orbital period | 4.88 yr (1,781 days) |
| Mean anomaly | 98.697° |
| Mean motion | 0° 12m 7.56s / day |
| Inclination | 22.352° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 3.1290° |
| 357.53° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 19.678±0.264 km[4][5] 20.56±0.43 km[6] 21.29±0.40 km[7] 25.44 km (calculated)[3] |
| Rotation period | 3.87±0.02 h[8][lower-alpha 1] 4.74±0.01 h[9] 9.19±0.05 h[10] |
| Geometric albedo | 0.057 (assumed)[3] 0.090±0.004[7] 0.096±0.018[6][5] 0.1045±0.0204[4] |
| C [3] | |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.6[4][6][7] · 11.7[1][3] |
2023 Asaph, provisional designation 1952 SA, is a dark asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 21 kilometers in diameter.[6] It was discovered on 16 September 1952, by astronomers of the Indiana Asteroid Program at Goethe Link Observatory in Indiana, United States.[11]
Asaph orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.1–3.7 AU once every 4 years and 11 months (1,781 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.28 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation Goethe Link.[11]
In November 2001, a rotational lightcurve of Asaph was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Brian Warner. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 4.74 hours with a low brightness variation of 0.06 magnitude ({{{1}}}).[9] Upon re-examination of the revised data set, Warner constructed a new, ambiguous lightcurve with two possible period solutions of 3.87 and 6.28 hours ({{{1}}}).[8][lower-alpha 1] These observations supersede a period of 9.19 hours derived from two fragmentary lightcurves obtained in 2001 and 2006, respectively ({{{1}}}).[10]
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Asaph measures between 19.678 and 21.29 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.09 and 0.1045.[4][5][6][7]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and consequently calculates a larger diameter of 25.44 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.7.[3]
This minor planet was named in memory of American astronomer Asaph Hall (1829–1907), who discovered the Martian satellites, Phobos and Deimos.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4238).[12]