| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | P. Pravec L. Kotková (Šarounová) |
| Discovery site | Ondřejov Obs. |
| Discovery date | 19 March 1996 |
| Designations | |
| (12002) Suess | |
Named after | Franz Eduard Suess (Austrian geologist)[2] |
| 1996 FR1 | |
| main-belt · (outer) Eos[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 34.49 yr (12,598 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.3477AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6934 AU |
| 3.0205 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1083 |
| 5.25yr (1,917 days) | |
| 270.14° | |
| 0° 11m 15.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 9.4290° |
| 216.62° | |
| 98.262° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 6.309±0.347 km[4] |
| 0.177±0.032[4] | |
| 13.6[1] | |
12002 Suess, provisional designation1996 FR1, is an Eoanasteroid from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, about 6 km (3.7 mi) in diameter. It was discovered by Czech astronomersPetr Pravec andLenka Kotková (Šarounová) atOndřejov Observatory on 19 March 1996.[5] The asteroid was named after Austrian geologistFranz Eduard Suess, following a suggestion byHerbert Raab.[2]
Suess is a member of theEos family (606),[3] the largestasteroid family in theouter main belt consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids.[6]: 23 It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,917 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.11 and aninclination of 9° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
The body'sobservation arc begins with aprecovery taken by theDigitized Sky Survey at theSiding Spring Observatory in November 1982, almost 14 years prior to its official discovery observation at Ondřejov .[5]
According to the survey carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Suess measures 6.309 km in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.177.[4]
As of 2017, no rotationallightcurve ofSuess has been obtained from photometric observations. The asteroid'srotation period, poles, and shape remain unknown.[1][7]
Thisminor planet was named after Austrian geologistFranz Eduard Suess (1867–1941/2), son of geologistEduard Suess and professor at the Technical College in Prague and superintendent at the Imperial Geological Institute of Vienna. Franz Eduard made fundamental studies onmoldavites and coined the term "tektite", which are ejecta from meteorimpact events. The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 24 January 2000 (M.P.C. 38201).[8] The lunar craterSuess, as well as the craterSuess on Mars, however, are named after his father.[9][10]
