| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Bowell |
| Discovery site | Anderson Mesa Stn. |
| Discovery date | 7 September 1980 |
| Designations | |
| (2598) Merlin | |
Named after | Merlin(Arthurian legend)[2] |
| 1980 RY · 1948 WH 1971 TD3 | |
| main-belt · Dora[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 68.44 yr (24,998 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.3861AU |
| Perihelion | 2.1757 AU |
| 2.7809 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2176 |
| 4.64yr (1,694 days) | |
| 297.39° | |
| 0° 12m 45s / day | |
| Inclination | 7.7767° |
| 197.77° | |
| 217.28° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 15.694±0.047 km[4] |
| 0.049±0.010[4] | |
| SMASS = Ch[1] | |
| 13.2[1] | |
2598 Merlin, provisional designation1980 RY, is a carbonaceous Dorianasteroid from the central regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 7 September 1980, by American astronomerEdward Bowell at Lowell'sAnderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States.[5] The asteroid was named after the legendary wizardMerlin in Arthurian legend.[2]
Merlin is a member of theDora family (512), a well-established centralasteroid family of more than 1,200 carbonaceous asteroids. The family's namesake is668 Dora. It is alternatively known as the "Zhongolovich family", named after its presumably largest member1734 Zhongolovich. The Dora family may also contain a subfamily.[3][6]: 13, 23
Merlin orbits the Sun in thecentral main-belt at a distance of 2.2–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,694 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.22 and aninclination of 8° with respect to theecliptic.[1] In Nombember 1948, the asteroid was first identified1948 WH atUccle Observatory, where the body'sobservation arc begins 32 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.[5]
In theSMASS classification,Merlin a Ch-type asteroid, a hydrated subtype of the broader carbonaceousC-complex.[1]
According to the surveys carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Merlin measures 15.694 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.049.[4]
As of 2017, no rotationallightcurve ofMerlin has been obtained from photometric observations. The body'srotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][7]
Thisminor planet was named after the sage and sorcererMerlin, featured mentor ofKing Arthur inArthurian legend andmedieval Welsh poetry. His magic enabled Arthur to pullExcalibur from the rock and become therightwise king born of all England. The name was suggested by F. Pilcher.[2] The approved naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 4 August 1982 (M.P.C. 7157).[8]
There is a book titledMerlin's Tour of the Universe, in which a fictitious character, called Merlin, answers all curious questions a layman would have about astronomy and theSolar System. In the book, Merlin's favorite asteroid is Merlin 2598.
