3785 Kitami , provisional designation 1986 WM , is a carbonaceous Themistian asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt , approximately 19 kilometers in diameter. The asteroid was discovered by Japanese astronomer Tsutomu Seki at Geisei Observatory on 30 November 1986, and named after the city of Kitami , Japan.[ 8]
Orbit and classification
The C-type asteroid is a member of the Themis family , a dynamical family of outer-belt asteroids with nearly coplanar ecliptical orbits . It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.8 AU once every 5 years and 10 months (2,127 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic .[ 1] Simeiz Observatory in 1934, and the first used precovery was taken at the Australian Siding Spring Observatory in 1979, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 7 years prior to its official discovery date.[ 8]
Physical characteristics
Rotation period
In December 2009, a rotational lightcurve of Kitami was obtained from photometric observations by amateur astronomer René Roy at his at Blauvac Observatory, France. The lightcurve gave a rotation period of ± 0.0004magnitude (U=3- [ 6]
Diameter and albedo
Based on the survey carried out by NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer , Kitami measures 19.7 and 20.5 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.066 and 0.072, respectively,[ 4] [ 5] Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.08 and calculates a diameter of 17.1 kilometers.[ 3]
Naming
This minor planet was named for the Japanese city of Kitami , where the Kitami Observatory is located. It is known for its many astrometric observations of small Solar System bodies by several amateur astronomers. Kitami is a "friendship city" of the discoverer’s own city of Kochi (also see 2396 Kochi ) , and is located on the island on Hokkaido, after which the minor planet 3720 Hokkaido is named.[ 2] Minor Planet Center on 27 August 1988 (M.P.C. 13482[ 9]
References
^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3785 Kitami (1986 WM)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory . Retrieved 19 June 2017 .^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3785) Kitami". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3785) Kitami . Springer Berlin Heidelberg . p. 320. doi :10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3780 . ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3 ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (3785) Kitami" . Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 3 August 2016 .^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos" . The Astrophysical Journal . 791 (2): 11. arXiv :1406.6645 Bibcode :2014ApJ...791..121M . doi :10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121 . Retrieved 5 December 2016 . ^ a b c d 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. arXiv :1109.6407 Bibcode :2011ApJ...741...90M . doi :10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90 . Retrieved 3 August 2016 . ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (3785) Kitami" . Geneva Observatory . Retrieved 3 August 2016 . ^ a b 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 . Retrieved 3 August 2016 . ^ a b "3785 Kitami (1986 WM)" . Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 3 August 2016 .^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive" . Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 3 August 2016 .
External links
