.png) Lightcurve-based 3D-model ofPepita | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. Comas Solà |
| Discovery site | Fabra Obs. |
| Discovery date | 5 November 1928 |
| Designations | |
| (1102) Pepita | |
Named after | Josep Comas i Solà[2] (discoverer himself) |
| 1928 VA · 1960 WQ A899 KB | |
| main-belt · (outer)[3] background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.24 yr (31,499 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4119AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7311 AU |
| 3.0715 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1108 |
| 5.38yr (1,966 days) | |
| 267.80° | |
| 0° 10m 59.16s / day | |
| Inclination | 15.828° |
| 216.59° | |
| 116.55° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 30.88±1.59 km[5] 36.632±0.378 km[6] 39.27±2.1 km[7] 41.02±0.74 km[8] 41.733±0.308 km[9] | |
| 5.1±0.1 h[10] 5.1040±0.0003 h[10] 5.10532±0.00005 h[11] 5.1054±0.0002 h[12] | |
| 0.1842±0.0220[9] 0.188±0.007[8] 0.1991±0.023[7] 0.229±0.054[6] 0.322±0.058[5] | |
| Tholen =C[1] SMASS =S[1][3] B–V = 0.724[1] U–B = 0.424[1] | |
| 8.68±0.65[13] 9.40[1][3][5][7][8][9] | |
1102 Pepita, provisional designation1928 VA, is a stony backgroundasteroid from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 39 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 November 1928, by Catalan astronomerJosep Comas i Solà at theFabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain.[14] It was named after the discoverer by the feminine form of his nickname.[2] The asteroid has arotation period of 5.1 hours.[3]
Pepita is a non-family asteroid from the main belt'sbackground population.[4] It orbits the Sun in theouter asteroid belt at a distance of 2.7–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,966 days;semi-major axis of 3.07 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.11 and aninclination of 16° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
In May 1899, the asteroid was first observed asA899 KB at Harvard'sBoyden Station in Arequipa, Peru (800). The body'sobservation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Barcelona.[14]
In theSMASS classification,Pepita is a stonyS-type asteroid, which agrees with the body's measuredgeometric albedo(see below).[1][3] Conversely, it is also classified as a carbonaceousC-type asteroid byTholen.[1]
Three rotationallightcurves ofPepita were obtained from photometric observations by astronomers Hilari Pallares and Enric Forné (2006,U=2),Pierre Antonini andRené Roy (2007,U=3), as well as byRobert Stephens (2007,U=3).[10][12] The consolidated lightcurve gave a well-definedrotation period of 5.1054 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.31 and 0.36magnitude.[1][12]
In 2011, a modeled lightcurve using data from the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue and other sources gave a concurring sidereal period 5.10532 hours, as well as twospin axes of (25.0°, −34.0°) and (231.0°, −30.0°) inecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[11]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Pepita measures between 30.88 and 41.733 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.1842 and 0.322.[5][6][7][8][9]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results obtained by IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.1991 and a diameter of 39.27 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 9.40.[3][7]
Thisminor planet was named after the discoverer,Josep Comas i Solà (1868–1937), by the feminine form of his nickname, "Pepito". He was the first director of the discovering Fabra Observatory and founded the Astronomical Society of Spain and America (Spanish:Sociedad Astronomica de España y América, SADEYA).[2]
The official naming citation was mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 104).[2] The asteroid1655 Comas Solà is also named after him, as is the Martian craterComas Sola.[15]
