astro.wikisort.org - Asteroid

9969 Braille, provisional designation 1992 KD, is an eccentric, rare-type and elongated asteroid from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, classified as Mars-crosser and slow rotator, approximately 1–2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered in 1992, by astronomers at Palomar observatory and later named after Louis Braille, the inventor of the writing system for the blind. It was photographed in closeup by the spacecraft Deep Space 1 in 1999, but a malfunction resulted in indistinct images.

9969 Braille

Braille imaged by Deep Space 1 in 1999
Discovery [1]
Discovered by	E. F. Helin K. J. Lawrence
Discovery site	Palomar Obs.
Discovery date	27 May 1992
Designations
MPC designation	(9969) Braille
Pronunciation	/ˈbreɪl/[2]
Named after	Louis Braille (inventor of braille)[3]
Alternative designations	1992 KD
Minor planet category	Mars-crosser [1][4]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	24.93 yr (9,107 days)
Aphelion	3.3557 AU
Perihelion	1.3263 AU
Semi-major axis	2.3410 AU
Eccentricity	0.4334
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.58 yr (1,308 days)
Mean anomaly	16.880°
Inclination	28.999°
Longitude of ascending node	241.95°
Argument of perihelion	356.11°
Earth MOID	0.3154 AU · 122.9 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	1.600±0.511 km[5] 1.64 km (derived)[6] 2.1 km × 1 km × 1 km[1]
Mass	7.8×1012kg
Mean density	3.9 g cm−3[7]
Synodic rotation period	226 h[8] 226.4 h[9]
Geometric albedo	0.1289±0.2441[5] 0.18 (assumed)[6]
Spectral type	SMASS = Q[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)	15.8[1]

Discovery and naming

Discovered on May 27, 1992, by E. F. Helin and K. J. Lawrence working at the Palomar observatory as part of NASA's Planet-Crossing Asteroid Survey, it was given the provisional designation 1992 KD.[4][10] Later, it was named Braille in honour of Louis Braille as suggested by Kennedy Space Center software engineer Kerry Babcock in The Planetary Society's contest titled "Name That Asteroid".[3][11] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 July 1999 (M.P.C. 35492).[12]

Orbit

Braille has an unusually inclined orbit, and belongs to the somewhat rare class of asteroids known as Mars-crossing asteroids. Simulations of its orbit by scientists of the Deep Space 1 project predict that it will evolve into an Earth-crossing orbit in about 4000 years.[13] Although its closest approach to the Sun is closer than Mars orbit, its highly elliptical orbit takes it almost half-way to Jupiter at its apoapsis, and as such its semi-major axis is too large for it to be classified as an Amor asteroid.

Physical characteristics

Braille is a Q-type asteroid, composed mostly of olivine and pyroxene.[1] Early ground-based observations had suggested that it could have been a V-type asteroid with similarities of composition between it and the much larger 4 Vesta. The asteroid is irregularly shaped, measuring approximately 2.1 km × 1 km × 1 km.[1]

Exploration

Detailed information about Braille comes primarily from the Deep Space 1 probe, which passed within 26 km of the asteroid on July 29, 1999,[14] and from extensive ground based observations done in conjunction with the mission.[15] By the time Deep Space 1 reached Braille, its ultraviolet spectrometer had failed, but it did return two CCD images of medium resolution and three infrared spectra during the encounter. However, although the probe came within 26 km of Braille, the images and spectra were taken from an approximate distance of 14 000 km, due to problems with the tracking system.[16]

The main purpose of the Deep Space 1 mission was technology testing, but the encounter with Braille was of strong scientific value. No lone asteroid as small as Braille had previously been observed from such a short distance.[9]

References

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived December 16, 2017, at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (5001)-(10000) – Minor Planet Center
• 9969 Braille at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 9969 Braille at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

На других языках

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[de] (9969) Braille

(9969) Braille ist ein Asteroid des Asteroiden-Hauptgürtels, der am 27. Mai 1992 von Eleanor Helin und Kenneth J. Lawrence am Palomar-Observatorium entdeckt wurde. Er ist etwa zwei Kilometer lang und einen Kilometer breit.

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- [en] 9969 Braille

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[es] (9969) Braille

(9969) Braille es un asteroide perteneciente al grupo de los asteroides que cruzan la órbita de Marte descubierto por Kenneth J. Lawrence y Eleanor Francis Helin desde el observatorio del Monte Palomar, Estados Unidos, el 27 de mayo de 1992.

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[fr] (9969) Braille

(9969) Braille est un petit astéroïde de la ceinture principale croisant l'orbite de Mars. Il a été découvert le 27 mai 1992 par Eleanor Francis Helin et Kenneth J. Lawrence à l'observatoire Palomar et nommé d'après Louis Braille, l'inventeur de l'alphabet pour non-voyants. Braille mesure 2,2 sur 0,6 kilomètres. Tout comme (4) Vesta, il fait partie du type V. Certains astronomes ont suggéré qu'il pouvait s'agir d'un morceau de Vesta détaché après un impact.

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[ru] (9969) Брайль

(9969) Брайль (лат. Braille) — небольшой астероид, относящийся к группе астероидов пересекающих орбиту Марса. Он был открыт 27 мая 1992 года американскими астрономами Элеанорой Хелин и Кеннетом Лоуренсом на Паломарской обсерватории (Сан-Диего, Калифорния) во время работы по программе NASA — «PCAS» и назван в честь Луи Брайля, изобретателя шрифта Брайля[1]. Это имя было предложено одним из сотрудников Космического Центра Кеннеди на конкурсе астрономического сообщества под названием «Назови этот астероид».

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