 Orbit ofLeonhardt (blue), with theinner planets andJupiter (outermost) | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | P. G. Comba |
| Discovery site | Prescott Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 July 1997 |
| Designations | |
| (9903) Leonhardt | |
Named after | Gustav Leonhardt (conductor andharpsichordist)[2] |
| 1997 NA1 · 1976 UG6 | |
| main-belt[1][3] · (outer) | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 40.43 yr (14,767 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.8232AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3527 AU |
| 3.0880 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2381 |
| 5.43yr (1,982 days) | |
| 240.21° | |
| 0° 10m 53.76s / day | |
| Inclination | 1.6903° |
| 195.95° | |
| 139.13° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 8.499±0.240 km[4] 17.8 km[5] |
| 0.042±0.008[4] | |
| 14.5[1] | |
9903 Leonhardt, provisional designation1997 NA1, is a darkasteroid from the outer region of theasteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter.
The asteroid was discovered on 4 July 1997, by American amateur astronomerPaul Comba atPrescott Observatory in Arizona, United States.[3] It was named after Dutch keyboard playerGustav Leonhardt.[2]
Leonhardt orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 2.4–3.8 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,982 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.24 and aninclination of 2° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
It was first identified as1976 UG6 atKiso Observatory in 1976, extending the body'sobservation arc by 21 years prior to its official discovery observation at Prescott.[3]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS and NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Leonhardt measures 17.8 and 8.499 kilometers in diameter, respectively.[4][5] WISE/NEOWISE also gives analbedo of 0.042 for the body's surface.[4] It has anabsolute magnitude of 14.5.[1]
As of 2017, the asteroid'srotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][6]
Thisminor planet was named forGustav Leonhardt (1928–2012), a Dutch conductor andharpsichordist, who founded theLeonhardt Baroque Ensemble. He was known for his many international concert tours and for his large number of recorded baroque works.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 2 April 1999 (M.P.C. 34356).[7]
The main-belt asteroid12637 Gustavleonhardt, discovered during the secondPalomar–Leiden Trojan survey campaign in 1973, is also named in his honor.[8]
