.gif) Orbital diagram ofClarke | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | S. J. Bus |
| Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
| Discovery date | 2 March 1981 |
| Designations | |
| (4923) Clarke | |
Named after | Arthur C. Clarke[1] (British science fiction writer) |
| 1981 EO27 · 1972 NJ | |
| main-belt[1][2] · (inner) background[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 45.53yr (16,631 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.5774AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7121 AU |
| 2.1448 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2017 |
| 3.14 yr (1,147 d) | |
| 187.58° | |
| 0° 18m 49.68s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.6759° |
| 188.51° | |
| 108.65° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 3.367±0.033 km[4] 3.532±0.033 km[5] 4.10 km(calculated)[6] | |
| 3.143±0.016 h[7] 3.1787±0.0009 h[a] 27.253±0.0553 h[8] | |
| 0.20(assumed)[6] 0.3259±0.0644[5] 0.366±0.066[4] | |
| SMASS =S[2][6] | |
| 13.98±0.31[9] 14.1[5] 14.222±0.004(R)[8] 14.3[2][6] | |
4923 Clarke, provisional designation1981 EO27, is a stony backgroundasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 March 1981, by American astronomerSchelte Bus at theSiding Spring Observatory in Australia.[1] The spheroidalS-type asteroid has arotation period of 3.14 hours.[6] It was named after British science fiction writerArthur C. Clarke.[1] On the same night, Schelte Bus also discovered5020 Asimov.
Clarke is a non-family asteroid from the main belt'sbackground population.[3] It orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.7–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 2 months (1,147 days;semi-major axis of 2.14 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.20 and aninclination of 7° with respect to theecliptic.[2]
The asteroid was first observed as1972 NJ atCrimea–Nauchnij in July 1972. The body'sobservation arc begins at the Siding Spring Observatory two weeks prior to its official discovery observation on 12 February 1981.[1]
In theSMASS classification,Clarke is a common, stonyS-type asteroid.[2][6]
Three rotationallightcurves ofClarke have been obtained fromphotometric observations by the APT Observatory Group in Spain, by astronomers at thePalomar Transient Factory in California, and by Czech astronomerPetr Pravec atOndřejov Observatory (U=2/1/2-).[7][8][a] Analysis of the best-rated lightcurve gave arotation period of 3.143 hours with a consolidated brightness amplitude between 0.03 and 0.14magnitude, which indicates that the body has a nearly spheroidal, non-elongated shape (U=2).[6][7]
According to the survey carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Clarke measures between 3.367 and 3.532 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.3259 and 0.366.[4][5] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 4.10 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 14.3.[6]
Thisminor planet was named after thescience fiction writerArthur C. Clarke (1917–2008), author of2001: A Space Odyssey.[1] The official naming citation was prepared with assistance fromRichard Binzel and published by theMinor Planet Center on 3 May 1996 (M.P.C. 27127). The asteroid's name independently suggested byDuncan Steel (M.P.C. 27147).[10]
In the postscript to his novel3001: The Final Odyssey, Clarke jokingly expresses disappointment that he did not receiveasteroid 2001 as his namesake; instead, it was named forAlbert Einstein.[citation needed]
