| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Delporte |
| Discovery site | Uccle Obs. |
| Discovery date | 23 February 1938 |
| Designations | |
| (1722) Goffin | |
Named after | Edwin Goffin (amateur astronomer)[2] |
| 1938 EG · 1942 DJ 1950 HK · 1952 SW 1952 UQ · 1960 WB 1964 UF · 1964 VD1 | |
| main-belt · (middle)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 79.09 yr (28,889 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.6369AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3902 AU |
| 2.5135 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0491 |
| 3.99yr (1,456 days) | |
| 42.038° | |
| 0° 14m 50.28s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.4668° |
| 168.12° | |
| 283.20° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 10.290±0.118[4] 10.44 km(taken)[3] 10.442 km[5] 10.446±0.130 km[6] |
| 28.8±1.0h[a] 31 h[7] | |
| 0.2175[5] 0.2191±0.0165[6] 0.224±0.041[4] | |
| S(est.)[7] · S[3] B–V = 0.890[1] | |
| 12.18[3][5][6][a] · 12.30[1] · 12.34[7] | |
1722 Goffin, provisional designation1938 EG, is a stonyasteroid from the central region of theasteroid belt, approximately 10.3 kilometers in diameter.
It was discovered on 23 February 1938, by Belgian astronomerEugène Delporte at theRoyal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle, Belgium.[8] It was later named after Belgian amateur astronomerEdwin Goffin, following a suggestion byJean Meeus.[2]
Minor planet 1722 Goffin orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.4–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 12 months (1,456 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.05 and aninclination of 5° with respect to theecliptic.[1] The body'sobservation arc begins 6 days after its official discovery observation.[8]
It is an assumedS-type asteroid, one of the most common spectral types.[3][7] American astronomerSherry Fieber-Beyer atNASA_Infrared_Telescope_Facility obtained VNIR spectra on July 20, 2011. The resulting spectrum analysis showed an S-IV assemblage with a derived L-chondrite mineralogy.[9]
(1722)'s first rotationallightcurve was obtained by American astronomerRichard P. Binzel atUT Austin in October 1984. It gave arotation period of 31 hours and an brightness variation of 0.63magnitude (U=2),[7] while Czech astronomersPetr Pravec andAdrián Galád atOndřejov Observatory derived a period of 28.8 hours with and amplitude of 0.6 magnitude using Binzel's photmetric observations (U=n.a.).[a]
According to the survey carried out by NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Goffin measures 10.29 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.224 (using the 2014-published revised near-infrared albedo fits),[4] superseding a preliminary published diameter of 10.446 kilometers.[6] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link takes Petr Pravec's 2012-revised WISE data, that gave an albedo of 0.2175 and a diameter of 10.442 kilometers.[3][5]
Thisminor planet was named in honor of the Belgianamateur astronomer Edwin Goffin (born 1950), who has made extensive computations involving minor-planet orbits, and whose initials are indicated by the body'sprovisional designation,1938 EG.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 8 April 1982 (M.P.C. 6832).[10]
