astro.wikisort.org - Asteroid

78431 Kemble, provisional designation 2002 QJ₅₀, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 1.4 kilometers (0.9 miles) in diameter. It was named after Father Lucian Kemble. The asteroid was discovered on 16 August 2002, by astronomer Andrew Lowe on images taken at the Palomar Observatory, California, United States.[1]

78431 Kemble

Discovery [1][2]
Discovered by	A. Lowe
Discovery site	Palomar Obs.
Discovery date	16 August 2002
Designations
MPC designation	(78431) Kemble
Named after	Lucian Kemble (Franciscan friar and amateur astronomer)[3]
Alternative designations	2002 QJ50 · 1999 YC2 2001 EY26
Minor planet category	main-belt · (inner) background [4][5]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	27.02 yr (9,869 d)
Aphelion	2.8113 AU
Perihelion	2.0755 AU
Semi-major axis	2.4434 AU
Eccentricity	0.1506
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.82 yr (1,395 d)
Mean anomaly	225.13°
Mean motion	0° 15m 28.8s / day
Inclination	2.9959°
Longitude of ascending node	226.79°
Argument of perihelion	356.42°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	1.4 km (est. at 0.20)[6]
Absolute magnitude (H)	16.6[1][2]

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of Father Lucian Kemble (1922–1999), who was a Franciscan friar and astronomer. His recorded main interest in astronomy was searching out deep sky objects and he was also known for his interest in asterisms such as Kemble's Cascade.[3][7][8] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 September 2005 (M.P.C. 54828).[9]

Orbit and classification

Kemble is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population.[4][5] It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,395 days; semi-major axis of 2.44 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] A precovery obtained at the Steward Observatory (Kitt Peak) in 1991, extends the body's observation arc by 11 years prior to its official discovery observation.[1]

Physical characteristics

A generic diameter of 1 to 3 kilometers can be derived for Kemble based on its absolute magnitude of 16.6 and with an assumed albedo of 0.20,[6] which is typical for the abundant silicaceous asteroids in the inner main-belt. As of 2019, Kemble's effective size, its composition and albedo, as well as its rotation period and shape remain unknown.[2][10]

References

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (75001)-(80000) – Minor Planet Center
• 78431 Kemble at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 78431 Kemble at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

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