13003 Dickbeasley Explained

Minorplanet:yes
13003 Dickbeasley
Background:
  1. D6D6D6
Discovered:21 March 1982
Mpc Name:(13003) Dickbeasley
Named After:Dick Beasley (NAU, artist)
Epoch:4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty:0
Observation Arc:34.66 yr (12,661 days)
Perihelion:2.0332 AU
Semimajor:2.5585 AU
Eccentricity:0.2053
Period:4.09 yr (1,495 days)
Mean Motion: / day
Inclination:26.560°
Asc Node:177.56°
Arg Peri:33.358°
Mean Diameter:5.41 km (calculated)
km
Rotation:
h
h
Albedo:
0.20 (assumed)
Spectral Type:S (assumed)
Abs Magnitude:13.7 (S)

13003 Dickbeasley, provisional designation , is a background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station on 21 March 1982. The asteroid was named in memory of American NAU administrator Dick Beasley.

Orbit and classification

Dickbeasley is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.0–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,495 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 27° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.

Naming

This minor planet was named in memory of American Richard "Dick" E. Beasley (1934–1992), a teacher and administrator at Northern Arizona University. He was also a multi-media artist and a preeminent figure in the calligraphic world. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 9 February 2009 .

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

In April 2015, a rotational lightcurve of Dickbeasley was obtained from photometric observations made at the Phillips Academy Observatory . It gave a rotation period of hours with a brightness variation of 0.44 magnitude . One month later, in May 2015, observations at Texas Tech's Preston Gott Observatory gave a concurring period of hours with an amplitude of 0.30 magnitude .

These results supersede the first obtained lightcurve at the Palomar Transient Factory from September 2012, which gave a period of hours and an amplitude of 0.42 .

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Dickbeasley measures 8.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.07, while he Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 5.4 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.7.

External links