| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. van Biesbroeck |
| Discovery site | Yerkes Obs. |
| Discovery date | 11 November 1923 |
| Designations | |
| (1027) Aesculapia | |
| Pronunciation | /ɛskjʊˈleɪpiə/[2] |
Named after | Aesculāpius (Greek/Roman deity)[3] |
| A923 YO11 · 1942 DH 1977 LP1 · A899 PE A908 AE | |
| main-belt · Themis[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 108.41 yr (39,595 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.5625AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7408 AU |
| 3.1517 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1304 |
| 5.60yr (2,044 days) | |
| 121.70° | |
| 0° 10m 34.32s / day | |
| Inclination | 1.2537° |
| 29.346° | |
| 132.13° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 31.225±0.164 km[5] 32.05 km(derived)[4] 32.20±1.4 km[6] 32.38±8.42 km[7] 34.464±0.335 km[8] 35.25±13.39 km[9] 38.55±0.82 km[10] |
| 6.83±0.10h(incorrect)[11] 9.791±0.002 h[12] 10 h(fragmentary)[13] 13.529±0.042 h[a] 19.506±0.1501 h[14] | |
| 0.06±0.08[9] 0.07±0.05[7] 0.071±0.003[10] 0.0750(derived)[4] 0.0856±0.0056[8] 0.0981±0.009[6] 0.129±0.014[5] | |
| S[4] | |
| 10.6[6][8][10] · 10.80[9] · 10.9[1][4] · 10.95[7] · 11.089±0.001(S)[14] | |
1027 Aesculapia, provisional designationA923 YO11, is aThemistian asteroid from the outer region of theasteroid belt, approximately 33 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 11 November 1923, by Belgian–American astronomerGeorge Van Biesbroeck atYerkes Observatory in Williams Bay, Wisconsin, United States.[15] It is named forAesculapius, the god of medicine in Greek mythology.[3]
Aesculapia is a member of theThemis family, a dynamical group ofcarbonaceous outer-belt asteroids which are known for their nearly coplanarecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,044 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.13 and aninclination of 1° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
In 1889, it was first identified asA899 PE at Harvard Observatory'sBoyden Station in Arequipa, Peru. The body'sobservation arc begins atHeidelberg in 1908, when it was identified asA908 AE, 15 years prior to its official discovery observation at Williams Bay.[15]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite, and NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Aesculapia measures between 31.225 and 38.55 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has analbedo between and 0.06 and 0.129.[5][6][7][8][9][10]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) derives an albedo of 0.075 and a diameter of 32.05 kilometers with anabsolute magnitude of 10.9.[4] Despite the body's low albedo, CALL classifiesAesculapia as aS-type rather than aC-type asteroid.[4]
In the last 20 years, photometric observations ofAesculapia gave several rotationallightcurves with significantly divergentrotation periods. First results obtained by Chester Maleszewski andRené Roy were only fragmentary or incorrect (U=1/1).[11][13] Photometry at thePalomar Transient Factory and observations by Astronomer Steven Ehlert gave a period of 9.791 and 19.506 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.09 and 0.19magnitude, respectively (U=2/2).[12][14] CALL currently adopts a lightcurve obtained by Kylie Hess at Oakley Southern Sky Observatory in March 2015, which gave a period of 13.529 hours and a brightness variation of 0.09 magnitude (U=2).[a]
Thisminor planet was named forAesculapius, the Greek and Roman demigod of medicine and healing, son ofApollo andCoronis, after whom the asteroids158 Koronis and1862 Apollo are named, respectively.[3] Naming citation was first mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 98).[3]
