| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Kulin |
| Discovery site | Konkoly Obs. |
| Discovery date | 22 January 1938 |
| Designations | |
| (2058) Róka | |
Named after | Gedeon Róka (1906–1974) (Hungarian science writer)[2] |
| 1938 BH · 1951 NP 1962 NA · 1963 UM 1974 SZ1 · 1978 AE 1985 UL3 | |
| main-belt · Themis[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 79.18 yr (28,920 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.5790AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6682 AU |
| 3.1236 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1458 |
| 5.52yr (2,016 days) | |
| 17.333° | |
| 0° 10m 42.6s / day | |
| Inclination | 2.5352° |
| 95.329° | |
| 180.50° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 21.12 km(derived)[3] 21.36±3.1 km[4] 23.40±0.52 km[5] 24.122±0.246 km[6] 24.273±0.234 km[7] |
| 10.04±0.02h[8] 10.09±0.01 h[9] | |
| 0.0995(derived)[3] 0.1196±0.0252[7] 0.121±0.017[6] 0.130±0.006[5] 0.1542±0.056[4] | |
| C[10] · S[3] | |
| 11.0[4][5][7] · 11.5[1][3] · 11.56±0.34[10] | |
2058 Róka, provisional designation1938 BH, is a Themistianasteroid from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 22 January 1938, by HungarianGyörgy Kulin atKonkoly Observatory in Budapest, Hungary.[11] The asteroid was named in memory of Hungarian science writerGedeon Róka.[2]
Róka is a member of theThemis family, a dynamical family of carbonaceousouter-belt asteroids with nearly coplanarecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.6 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,016 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.15 and aninclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body'sobservation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Konkoly in 1938.[11]
Róka has been characterized as a carbonaceousC-type asteroid byPan-STARRS photometric survey.[10] Due to its ambivalent albedo it is also an assumedS-type asteroid.[3]
In March 2005, a rotationallightcurve ofRóka was obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomerRené Roy. Lightcurve analysis gave arotation period of 10.04 hours with a brightness variation of 0.34magnitude (U=3-).[8] One month later, astronomer at theRose-Hulman Observatory obtained another lightcurve with a concurring period of 10.09 hours and an amplitude of 0.40 magnitude (U=2).[9]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite, and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Róka measures between 21.36 and 24.273 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.1196 and 0.1542.[4][5][6][7] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0995 and calculates a diameter of 21.12 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 11.5.[3]
Thisminor planet was named in memory of Gedeon Róka (1906–1974), a Hungarian science writer and popularizer of astronomy from Budapest.[2] The approved naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5183).[12]
