_Transylvania.png) A lightcurve-derived shape model of Transylvania | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Strommer |
| Discovery site | Konkoly Obs. |
| Discovery date | 27 August 1940 |
| Designations | |
| (1537) Transylvania | |
Named after | Transylvania[2] (region in Romania) |
| 1940 QA · 1940 QN A903 VB | |
| main-belt · (outer)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 113.42 yr (41,428 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.9677AU |
| Perihelion | 2.1361 AU |
| 3.0519 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.3001 |
| 5.33yr (1,947 days) | |
| 143.95° | |
| 0° 11m 5.64s / day | |
| Inclination | 3.8591° |
| 230.07° | |
| 148.20° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 13.60 km(derived)[3] 13.77±1.5 km[4] 17.48±1.16 km[5] 20.288±0.256 km[6] 20.29±0.26 km[6] 21.49±1.58 km[7] |
| 12h[8] | |
| 0.05±0.00[5] 0.052±0.006[6] 0.067±0.010[7] 0.1047(derived)[3] 0.1619±0.041[4] | |
| C[3][9] | |
| 11.90[7][4] · 12.12±0.49[9] · 12.30[6] · 12.32[5] · 12.4[1][3] | |
1537 Transylvania (provisional designation1940 QA) is a carbonaceousasteroid and long-lost minor planet from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. Discovered byGyula Strommer in 1940, it was later named after region ofTransylvania, where the discoverer was born.[10]
Transylvania was discovered on 27 August 1940, by Hungarian astronomerGyula Strommer at theKonkoly Observatory near Budapest, Hungary. Observations of the asteroid continued at Konkoly until February 1942. It became alost minor planet until Spring 1981, when astronomer Leif Kahl Kristensen at theUniversity of Aarhus rediscovered it based on contemporary observations atPalomar Observatory.[10][11]
Kristensen was able to show that Transylvania was first observed asA903 VB at Heidelberg Observatory in October 1903, and, after its observations at Konkoly in the early 1940s, it was again observed atGoethe Link Observatory in December 1962, and at Palomar in February 1981.[10][11]
At the same time, Kristensen also rediscovered452 Hamiltonia. With these two rediscoveries in 1981, only nine numbered minor planets remained unobserved since their discoveries:330 Adalberta,473 Nolli,719 Albert,724 Hapag,843 Nicolaia,878 Mildred,1009 Sirene,1026 Ingrid, and1179 Mally.[11]
Transylvania is a non-family asteroid of the main belt'sbackground population. It orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 2.1–4.0 AU once every 5 years and 4 months (1,947 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.30 and aninclination of 4° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
Transylvania has been characterized as a carbonaceousC-type asteroid byPanSTARRS photometric survey.[9]
In September 2004, a rotationallightcurve of Transylvania was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomerLaurent Bernasconi. Analysis of the fragmentary lightcurve gave arotation period of 12 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.15magnitude (U=1).[8] As of 2017, no other lightcurve has been obtained, and Transylvania's period is still uncertain.[3]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Transylvania measures between 13.77 and 21.49 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.05 and 0.1619.[4][5][6][7]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1047 and a diameter of 13.60 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 12.4.[3]
Thisminor planet was named after the historical region ofTransylvania, located in what is now Romania. Formerly, it was part of theAustro-Hungarian Empire. Transylvania is also the birthplace of the discovererGyula Strommer (1920–1995).[2] Transylvania was hisonly minor-planet discovery. The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5182).[12]
