astro.wikisort.org - Asteroid

8815 Deanregas, provisional designation 1984 DR, is a Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 23 February 1984, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile.[1] The asteroid was named for American astronomer Dean Regas.

8815 Deanregas

Discovery [1]
Discovered by	H. Debehogne
Discovery site	La Silla Obs.
Discovery date	23 February 1984
Designations
MPC designation	(8815) Deanregas
Named after	Dean Regas (American astronomer)[1]
Alternative designations	1984 DR · 1969 VX1 1994 AN1
Minor planet category	main-belt[2][1] · (inner) Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	48.52 yr (17,723 d)
Aphelion	2.5619 AU
Perihelion	1.9434 AU
Semi-major axis	2.2527 AU
Eccentricity	0.1373
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.38 yr (1,235 d)
Mean anomaly	89.021°
Mean motion	0° 17m 29.4s / day
Inclination	5.7963°
Longitude of ascending node	141.32°
Argument of perihelion	291.38°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	4.527±0.126[4]
Geometric albedo	0.285±0.049[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.9[1][2]

Orbit and classification

Deanregas is a member of the Flora family,[3] one of the largest asteroid clans of stony asteroid groupings. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,235 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] It was first observed as 1969 VX₁ at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1969, extending the body's observation arc by 15 years prior to its official discovery observation.[1]

Physical characteristics

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Deanregas measures 4.527 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.285.[4] As of 2017, Deanregas' spectral type, as well as its rotation period and shape remain unknown.[2][5]

Naming

This minor planet was named for Dean Regas (born 1973), an astronomer at Cincinnati Observatory, responsible for science outreach activities and a national popularizer of astronomy. He is also a co-host of the prolific PBS show Star Gazers and author of Facts From Space.[1][6] The approved naming citation was suggested by Fred N. Bowman and published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 January 2015 (M.P.C. 91790).[7]

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 (5001)-(10000) – Minor Planet Center
• 8815 Deanregas at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 8815 Deanregas at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

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