| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. F. Helin |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 16 July 1993 |
| Designations | |
| (9069) Hovland | |
Named after | Larry E. Hovland (JPL engineer)[2] |
| 1993 OV · 1991 XF5 | |
| main-belt · Hungaria[3][4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 25.51 yr (9,319 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.1397AU |
| Perihelion | 1.6865 AU |
| 1.9131 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1185 |
| 2.65yr (966 days) | |
| 287.14° | |
| 0° 22m 21s / day | |
| Inclination | 19.574° |
| 247.91° | |
| 171.12° | |
| Knownsatellites | 1[5][a] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 2.9±0.4 km[6] 3.51 km(calculated)[4] |
| 4.2158±0.0001h[7] 4.217 h[6] 4.2173±0.0001 h[8] 4.2174±0.0007 h[9] | |
| 0.3(assumed)[4] 0.373±0.089[6] | |
| E[4] | |
| 14.2[1][4] · 14.40±0.03[6] | |
9069 Hovland, provisional designation1993 OV, is a stonybinary[a] Hungariaasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 16 July 1993, by American astronomerEleanor Helin at thePalomar Observatory in California, United States, and later named for AmericanJPL engineerLarry Hovland.[2][3]
The brightE-type asteroid is a member of theHungaria family, which form the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in theSolar System.Hovland orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.7–2.1 AU once every 2 years and 8 months (966 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.12 and aninclination of 20° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
First identified as1991 XF5 at ESO'sLa Silla site in December 1991, the asteroid'sobservation arc begins 19 months prior to its official discovery at Palomar.[3]
Several rotationallightcurves ofHovland were obtained from photometric observations. These lightcurves gave a well-definedrotation period of 4.216 to 4.217 hours and a low brightness variation between 0.008 and 0.011 inmagnitude, indicating a nearly spheroidal shape (U=2/3/3/3/3).[6][7][8][a][9]
According to the space-basedSpitzer Space Telescope,Hovland has a highalbedo of 0.373 and a diameter of 2.9 kilometers, while theCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for members of the Hungaria family of 0.30, and calculates a diameter of 3.5 kilometers.[4][6]
In 2004, the U.SPalmer Divide Observatory, Colorado, reported the discovery of anasteroid moon making the asteroid abinary system. The moon'sorbital period has since been measured to take 30.292, 30.34 and 30.35 hours, respectively, for a full orbit around its primary.[5][6][8][9]
Thisminor planet was named in honor ofJPL engineer Larry E. Hovland (b. 1947), who oversees the electronics of theRaman spectrometer and the Mars 2005 optical navigation camera. He helped the discoverer to transition from photographic to electronic detection methods.[2] The approved naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 9 May 2001 (M.P.C. 42669).[10]
