1552 Bessel
Shape model of Bessel from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byY. Väisälä
Discovery siteTurku Obs.
Discovery date24 February 1938
Designations
(1552) Bessel
Named after
Friedrich Bessel
(German astronomer)[2]
1938 DE1 · 1933 FJ1
1948 EH · 1951 UF
main-belt · Eos[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc84.11 yr (30,722 days)
Aphelion3.3068 AU
Perihelion2.7174 AU
3.0121 AU
Eccentricity0.0978
5.23 yr (1,909 days)
185.26°
0° 11m 18.6s / day
Inclination9.8367°
9.9835°
39.607°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions16.63±0.84 km[4]
18.33 km (derived)[3]
18.514±0.066 km[5]
18.817±0.101 km[6]
8.96318±0.00002 h[a]
8.996±0.006 h[7]
0.1448 (derived)[3]
0.1514±0.0332[6]
0.156±0.023[5]
0.193±0.024[4]
S[3]
11.3[4][6] · 11.4[1][3] · 11.53±0.24[8]

1552 Bessel, provisional designation 1938 DE1, is a stony Eoan asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 18 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 24 February 1938, by Finnish astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland, and named after German astronomer Friedrich Bessel.[2][9]

Orbit and classification

Bessel is a stony asteroid and a member of the Eos family that orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,909 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] First observed as 1933 FJ1 at Heidelberg in 1933, the body's observation arc begins at Turku, 5 days prior to its official discovery observation.[9]

Naming

This minor planet was named after German astronomer Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (1789–1846), who measured the first stellar parallax in 1838. His measured parallax of 0.314 arcseconds for 61 Cygni gave a distance of 10.3 light-years, which is 9.6% off today's measured distance of 11.4 light-years. Bessel is also honored by the lunar crater Bessel.[2][10] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 30 January 1964 (M.P.C. 2278).[11]

Physical characteristics

Rotation period and pole

In March 2011, a rotational lightcurve of Bessel was obtained from photometric observations by Italian amateur astronomer Silvano Casulli. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 8.996 hours with a brightness variation of 0.29 magnitude (U=3).[7]

In 2016, a modeled lightcurve using photometric data from various sources gave a concurring period of 8.96318 hours, as well as a spin axis of (61.0°, −50.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[a]

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Bessel measures between 16.63 and 18.817 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.1514 and 0.193.[4][5][6] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1448 and a diameter of 18.33 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 11.4.[3]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Hanus (2016) web: rotation period of 8.96318 hours. (λ, β)-Pole axis of (61.0°, −50.0°) and (221.0°, −57.0°) . Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (1552) Bessel

References

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1552 Bessel (1938 DE1)" (2017-05-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 30 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1552) Bessel". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1552) Bessel. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 123. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1553. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (1552) Bessel". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  5. ^ a b c 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. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  6. ^ a b c d 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.
  7. ^ a b Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1552) Bessel". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  8. ^ 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 April 2017.
  9. ^ a b "1552 Bessel (1938 DE1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  10. ^ "Friedrich Wilhelm Bessel (July 22, 1784 - March 17, 1846)". seds.org. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 11 April 2017.
  11. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.

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