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1302 Werra, provisional designation 1924 SV, is a Themistian asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 September 1924, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory. The asteroid was named for the river Werra in central Germany.

Orbit and classification

Werra is a Themistian asteroid that belongs to the Themis family (602), a very large family of carbonaceous asteroids, named after its parent body 24 Themis.

It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.7 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,006 days; semi-major axis of 3.11 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg with its official discovery observation in September 1924.

Physical characteristics

Werra is an assumed carbonaceous C-type asteroid, which is the overall spectral type for members of the Themis family.

Rotation period

In March 2009, a fragmentary lightcurve of Werra was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomer Pierre Antonini. Lightcurve analysis gave a poorly constraint rotation period of 2 days with a brightness amplitude of less than 0.1 magnitude. The result was later retracted at the Lightcurve Data Base (U=n.a.). As of 2017, no secure period has been obtained.

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Werra measures between 24.35 and 35.041 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.0710 and 0.102.

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.08 and calculates a diameter of 31.04 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.9.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the river Werra in central Germany. It merges the Fulda in Hannoversch-Münden, Lower Saxony, to form the river Weser. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 119).

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1302 Werra (1924 SV)" (2017-11-02 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1302) Werra". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 107. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1303. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. ^ "LCDB Data for (1302) Werra". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 11 December 2017.
4. ^ "Asteroid 1302 Werra – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 26 October 2019.
5. ^ Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
6. ^ Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
7. ^ Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90.
8. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121.
9. ^ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1302) Werra". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
10. Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
11. ^ "1302 Werra (1924 SV)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 December 2017.
12. ^ Nesvorný, D.; Broz, M.; Carruba, V. (December 2014). "Identification and Dynamical Properties of Asteroid Families". Asteroids IV. pp. 297–321. arXiv:1502.01628. Bibcode:2015aste.book..297N. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch016. ISBN 9780816532131.

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 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 (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
• 1302 Werra at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 1302 Werra at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Themis asteroids
• Discoveries by Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth
• Named minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1924