_Leverrier.png) Leverrier modeled from itslightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Indiana University (Indiana Asteroid Program) |
| Discovery site | Goethe Link Obs. |
| Discovery date | 14 September 1963 |
| Designations | |
| (1997) Leverrier | |
Named after | Urbain Le Verrier (mathematician)[2] |
| 1963 RC · 1940 SF 1950 TS3 · 1953 QB 1973 SX4 · 1973 UF | |
| main-belt · Flora[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 66.72 yr (24,370 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.6660AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7520 AU |
| 2.2090 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2069 |
| 3.28yr (1,199 days) | |
| 153.46° | |
| 0° 18m 0.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 6.0689° |
| 353.22° | |
| 0.6461° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 6.81±0.7 km(IRAS:2)[4] 6.83 km(derived)[3] | |
| 8.01532±0.00001 h[5] | |
| 0.1662±0.040(IRAS:2)[4] 0.1811(derived)[3] | |
| S[3] | |
| 13.3[1][3] | |
1997 Leverrier (prov. designation:1963 RC) is a stonyFlora asteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt. It was discovered on 14 September 1963, by theIndiana Asteroid Program atGoethe Link Observatory near Brooklyn, Indiana, United States, and named after French mathematicianUrbain Le Verrier.[2][6] The asteroid has arotation period of 6.8 hours and measures approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in diameter
Leverrier is anS-type asteroid and member of theFlora family, one of the largest families of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,199 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.21 and aninclination of 6° with respect to theecliptic.[1] It was first observed as1940 SF at the Abastuman Observatory (119) in Georgia on 28 September 1940. Its first used observation was made atPalomar Observatory in 1950, extending the body'sobservation arc by 13 years prior to the official discovery observation.[6]
Thisminor planet was named after French mathematicianUrbain Le Verrier (1811–1877). In 1846, he predicted the existence and position of the planetNeptune by applying the mathematics of celestial mechanics. TheMartian andlunar cratersLe Verrier are also named in his honor.[2] Its name was suggested byMPC-directorBrian G. Marsden, after whom the minor planet1877 Marsden is named.[7] The officialnaming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4237).[8]
In March 2016, a modeledrotation period forLeverrier was published using data from the Lowell Photometric Database (LPD). Usinglightcurve inversion and convex shape models, as well as distributed computing power and the help of individual volunteers, a period of 8.015 hours could be obtained for this asteroid from the LPD's sparse-in-time photometry data (U=n.a.).[5]
According to the survey carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS,Leverrier measures 6.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.166.[4] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.181 and a concurring diameter of 6.8 kilometers, with anabsolute magnitude of 13.3.[3] When using a genericmagnitude-to-diameter conversion, itsmean diameter is between 6 and 14 kilometers for an assumed albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25.[9]
