 Maximiliana (marked "1217") near spiral galaxy NGC 521; imaged by K. and P. J. Heider. | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Delporte |
| Discovery site | Uccle Obs. |
| Discovery date | 13 March 1932 |
| Designations | |
| (1217) Maximiliana | |
Named after | Max Wolf[2] (German astronomer) |
| 1932 EC · 1925 HC 1962 TD | |
| main-belt · (inner) Erigone[3] · background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 92.59 yr (33,818 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.7157AU |
| Perihelion | 1.9901 AU |
| 2.3529 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1542 |
| 3.61yr (1,318 days) | |
| 196.36° | |
| 0° 16m 23.16s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.1534° |
| 148.43° | |
| 91.464° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 16.81 km(calculated)[3] | |
| 3.1987±0.0001 h[a] | |
| 0.057(assumed)[3] | |
| C(assumed)[3] | |
| 12.6[3] 12.7[1] | |
1217 Maximiliana, provisional designation1932 EC, is a backgroundasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers (11 mi) in diameter. It was discovered on 13 March 1932, by Belgian astronomerEugène Delporte at theRoyal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle.[5] The asteroid was named in memory ofMax Wolf, a German astronomer and discoverer of asteroids himself, who independently discovered this asteroid.[2]
Maximiliana is a non-family asteroid of the main belt'sbackground population when applying thehierarchical clustering method to itsproper orbital elements.[4] Based on osculating Keplerianorbital elements, the asteroid has also been classified as a member of theErigone family (406), a largeasteroid family named after163 Erigone.[3]
It orbits the Sun in theinner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,318 days;semi-major axis of 2.35 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.15 and aninclination of 5° with respect to theecliptic.[1] The asteroid was first observed as1925 HC at Heidelberg in April 1925. The body'sobservation arc begins in May 1925, also at Heidelberg, and almost 8 years prior to its official discovery observation at Uccle.[5]
Thisminor planet was named in memory ofMax Wolf (1863–1932), who independently discovered this asteroids the night before its official discovery by Delporte. Wolf was a German astronomer, founder and director of the influentialHeidelberg Observatory, and a prolificdiscoverer of minor planets and otherastronomical objects himself.[2] The asteroid was named by the discoverer based on a suggestion by Wolf's widow. The official naming citation was mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 112). Asteroid827 Wolfiana and the lunar craterWolf were also named in his honor.[2]
Maximiliana is an assumed carbonaceousC-type asteroid.[3] For comparison, members of the Erigone family are typically found to be C- andX-type asteroids.[6]: 23
In March 2015, a rotationallightcurve ofMaximiliana was obtained from photometric observations byPetr Pravec atOndřejov Observatory. Lightcurve analysis gave arotation period of 3.1987 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.21magnitude (U=3-).[a]
Maximiliana has not been observed by any of the space-based telescopes such as theWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, theAkari satellite or the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS. TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standardalbedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 16.81 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 12.6.[3]
