| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | P. Parchomenko |
| Discovery site | Simeiz Obs. |
| Discovery date | 27 June 1930 |
| Designations | |
| (1166) Sakuntala | |
Named after | Shakuntala (Sanskrit drama)[2] |
| 1930 MA · 1962 KA | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.75 yr (31,685 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0650AU |
| Perihelion | 2.0044 AU |
| 2.5347 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2092 |
| 4.04yr (1,474 days) | |
| 177.36° | |
| 0° 14m 39.12s / day | |
| Inclination | 18.924° |
| 106.69° | |
| 189.92° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 22.70±5.56 km[4] 25.78 km(derived)[3] 26.011±0.181 km[5] 26.32±0.39 km[6] 28.74±0.9 km[7] 29.249±0.130 km[8] |
| 6.29±0.01 h[9] 6.2915±0.0002 h[10] 6.30±0.02h[11] 20 h[12] | |
| 0.185±0.006[6] 0.22±0.11[4] 0.2270±0.0315[8] 0.286±0.047[5] 0.2914(derived)[3] 0.6460±0.040[7] | |
| S [3][13] | |
| 8.80[7] · 9.9[3][8][14] · 10.40[1][6] · 10.56[4] | |
1166 Sakuntala, provisional designation1930 MA, is a stony backgroundasteroid from the central regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 26 kilometers in diameter. Discovered byPraskovjya Parchomenko atSimeiz Observatory in 1930, the asteroid was named after the figure ofShakuntala from an ancient Indian drama.[2]
Sakuntala was discovered by Soviet astronomerPraskovjya Parchomenko at theSimeiz Observatory on the Crimean peninsula on 27 June 1930. Two night later, it was independently discovered by German astronomerKarl Reinmuth atHeidelberg Observatory.[15] The body'sobservation arc begins atUccle Observatory in May 1938, or 8 years after its official discovery observation at Simeiz.[15]
The asteroid is a background asteroid, that is not a member of any knownasteroid family.Sakuntala orbits the Sun in thecentral main-belt at a distance of 2.0–3.1 AU once every 4.04 years (1,474 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.21 and aninclination of 19° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
Sakuntala has been characterized as a stonyS-type asteroid.[3][13]
Several rotationallightcurves ofSakuntala were obtained from photometric observations. Analysis of the best-rated lightcurve gave arotation period of 6.29 hours with a brightness variation of 0.38magnitude (U=3).[9]
Other measurements gave a similar period of 6.2915 and 6.30 hours, respectively (U=3-/2),[10][11] while lightcurves with a period of larger than20 hours are considered to be wrong (U=1/1/1).[12]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Sakuntala measures between 22.70 and 29.249 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.185 and 0.6460.[4][5][6][7][8]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.2914 and a diameter of 25.78 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 9.9.[3]
Thisminor planet was named after the protagonistShakuntala in theSanskrit dramaThe Recognition of Shakuntala by Indian poetKālidāsa. The drama is part of theMahabharata, one of the major Sanskrit epics of ancient India.
The official naming citation was mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 108).[2]
