456 Abnoba Explained

Minorplanet:yes
456 Abnoba
Background:
  1. D6D6D6
Discovery Ref: 
Discovered:4 June 1900
Mpc Name:(456) Abnoba
Alt Names:1900 FH1952 YF
Pronounced:[1] [2]
Named After:Abnoba 
Mp Category:main-belt
background 
Orbit Ref: 
Epoch:4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty:0
Observation Arc:117.07 yr (42,761 days)
Perihelion:2.2894 AU
Semimajor:2.7884 AU
Eccentricity:0.1789
Period:4.66 yr (1,701 days)
Mean Motion: / day
Inclination:14.439°
Asc Node:229.21°
Arg Peri:6.6794°
Dimensions: km
km
km
39.94 km
km
km
Rotation: h
h
h
h
Albedo:


0.2537
Spectral Type:SMASS S 
S 
Abs Magnitude:9.109.20

456 Abnoba, provisional designation, is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 40 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 June 1900, by astronomers Max Wolf and Arnold Schwassmann at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The asteroid was named after the Celtic deity Abnoba.

Orbit and classification

Abnoba 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 2.3–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,701 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.

The body's observation arc begins at Bordeaux Observatory, eleven days after its official discovery observation at Heidelberg.

Physical characteristics

In the SMASS classification, Abnoba is a stony S-type asteroid. Its stony composition was also confirmed by polarimetric observations in 2017.

Rotation period

Several rotational lightcurves of Abnoba have been obtained from photometric observations since 2004. Analysis of the best-rated lightcurve from the Bigmuskie Observatory in Italy, gave a rotation period of 18.281 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.32 magnitude .

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Abnoba measures between 37.64 and 50.495 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1467 and 0.286.

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.2537 and a diameter of 39.94 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.1.

456 Abnoba has been observed to occult 6 stars between 2006 and 2023.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the Gaulish goddess Abnoba from Celtic mythology. The goddess was worshipped in the Black Forest of southern Germany, and known as "Diana Abnoba" to the Roman troops stationed in this region. The official naming citation was authored by Lutz D. Schmadel based on his own research.

External links

Notes and References

  1. Walker (1830) A Key to the Classical Pronunciation of Greek, Latin, and Scripture Proper Names
  2. Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language