| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H. Debehogne |
| Discovery site | La Silla Obs. |
| Discovery date | 23 February 1984 |
| Designations | |
| (8815) Deanregas | |
Named after | Dean Regas (American astronomer)[1] |
| 1984 DR · 1969 VX1 1994 AN1 | |
| main-belt[2][1] · (inner) Flora[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 48.52yr (17,723 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.5619AU |
| Perihelion | 1.9434 AU |
| 2.2527 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1373 |
| 3.38 yr (1,235 d) | |
| 89.021° | |
| 0° 17m 29.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.7963° |
| 141.32° | |
| 291.38° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 4.527±0.126[4] | |
| 0.285±0.049[4] | |
| 13.9[1][2] | |
8815 Deanregas, provisional designation1984 DR, is a Florianasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 4.5 kilometers (2.8 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 23 February 1984, by Belgian astronomerHenri Debehogne at ESO'sLa Silla Observatory in northern Chile.[1] The asteroid was named for American astronomerDean Regas.
Deanregas is a member of theFlora family,[3] one of the largestasteroid clans of stony asteroid groupings. It orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,235 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.14 and aninclination of 6° with respect to theecliptic.[2] It was first observed as1969 VX1 atCrimea–Nauchnij in 1969, extending the body'sobservation arc by 15 years prior to its official discovery observation.[1]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Deanregas measures 4.527 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.285.[4] As of 2017,Deanregas'spectral type, as well as itsrotation period and shape remain unknown.[2][5]
Thisminor planet was named for Dean Regas (born 1973), an astronomer atCincinnati Observatory, responsible for science outreach activities and a national popularizer of astronomy. He is also a co-host of the prolific PBS showStar Gazers and author ofFacts From Space.[1][6] The approved naming citation was suggested by Fred N. Bowman and published by theMinor Planet Center on 5 January 2015 (M.P.C. 91790).[7]
