3960 Chaliubieju, provisional designation 1955 BG, is a stony asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 January 1955, by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory in Nanjing, China.[10] The asteroid was named after Cha Liubieju, a friend of one of the discoverers.[2]

3960 Chaliubieju
Discovery [1]
Discovered byPurple Mountain Obs.
Discovery sitePurple Mountain Obs.
Discovery date20 January 1955
Designations
(3960) Chaliubieju
Named after
Cha Liubieju [2]
(friend of a discoverer)
1955 BG · 1984 YZ3
A921 EF
main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.45 yr (22,811 days)
Aphelion3.3782 AU
Perihelion1.9050 AU
2.6416 AU
Eccentricity0.2788
4.29 yr (1,568 days)
217.16°
0° 13m 46.56s / day
Inclination14.414°
84.839°
12.605°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions7.13±1.18 km[4]
8.13±1.44 km[5]
8.997±0.259 km[6]
9.00±0.26 km[6]
14.57 km (calculated)[3]
3.984±0.002 h[7]
3.986±0.001 h[8]
0.10 (assumed)[3]
0.288±0.030[6]
0.32±0.17[5]
0.34±0.11[4]
S[3]
12.20[5][6] · 12.3[3] · 12.38±0.25[9] · 12.4[1] · 12.57[4]

Orbit and classification

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Chaliubieju is an asteroid of the main belt's background population that does not belong to any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 1.9–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,568 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.28 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid was first identified as A921 EF at Bergedorf Observatory in March 1921. The body's observation arc begins at Nanjing, two days after its official discovery observation.[10]

Physical characteristics

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Chaliubieju is an assumed S-type asteroid.[3]

Rotation period

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In February 2011, a rotational lightcurve of Chaliubieju was obtained French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.986 hours with a brightness variation of 0.27 magnitude (U=3).[8] One month later another photometric observation at the Astronomical Research Observatory (H21) gave a concurring period of 3.984 hours and an amplitude of 0.30 magnitude (U=3-).[7]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Chaliubieju measures between 7.13 and 9.00 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.288 and 0.34,[4][5][6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.10 and calculates a diameter of 14.57 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.3.[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after Cha Liubieju, a friend of one of the discovering astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory. Liubieju is noted for her social work with sick and destitute mothers and children in China.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 October 1998 (M.P.C. 32787).[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3960 Chaliubieju (1955 BG)" (2017-07-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 16 September 2020. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3960) Chaliubieju". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3960) Chaliubieju. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 337. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3948. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (3960) Chaliubieju". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Kramer, E. A.; Grav, T.; et al. (September 2016). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year Two: Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (3): 12. arXiv:1606.08923. Bibcode:2016AJ....152...63N. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/3/63.
  5. ^ a b c d Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. S2CID 9341381. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d e Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b Linder, Tyler R.; Sampson, Ryan; Holmes, Robert (January 2013). "Astronomical Research Institute Photometric Results". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 40 (1): 4–6. Bibcode:2013MPBu...40....4L. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  8. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (3960) Chaliubieju". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  9. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b "3960 Chaliubieju (1955 BG)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
  11. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 September 2017.
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