| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Nikolai Chernykh |
| Discovery site | Crimean Astrophysical Observatory |
| Discovery date | 29 March 1979 |
| Designations | |
| (2703) Rodari | |
Named after | Gianni Rodari |
| 1976 MN · 1979 FT2 · 1979 GU | |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Aphelion | 2.31946AU |
| Perihelion | 2.06736 AU |
| 2.19341 | |
| Eccentricity | 0.05746 |
| 3.24854 y (1186.53 d) | |
| 111.348° | |
| 0.30341° / d | |
| Inclination | 6.03283° |
| 49.3864° | |
| 171.785° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 2.64616 AU |
| TJupiter | 3.661 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 7.63 km[3]: 876 | |
| 5.5 h[4]: 2250 | |
| S-type[3]: 876 | |
| 13.66[2] | |
2703 Rodari (provisional designation1979 FT2) is anasteroid located in themain asteroid belt. Discovered byNikolai Chernykh at theCrimean Astrophysical Observatory on 29 March 1979, it was named in honor of Italian journalist and children's authorGianni Rodari by theMinor Planet Center (MPC). It is 7.63 kilometres (4.74 mi) in size andclassified as a stonyS-type asteroid. From 1996 to 1999, it was briefly considered as a target for theEuropean Space Agency'sRosetta comet probe, though the agency eventually dropped it in favor of alternative main-belt targets.
Rodari was discovered on 29 March 1979 by astronomerNikolai Chernykh at theCrimean Astrophysical Observatory, with the object receiving theprovisional designation1979 FT2 from theMinor Planet Center (MPC).[1][5]: 47 It was later given the number (2703), and on 2 July 1985 the MPC named itRodari in memory ofGianni Rodari (1920–1980).[6]: 52 Gianni Rodari was an Italian writer and journalist who wrote 25 works ofchildren's literature, winning theHans Christian Andersen Medal in 1970 for his contributions as a children's author.[7]: 42–43
Rodari orbits the Sun at an average distance—itssemi-major axis—of 2.19astronomical units (AU), placing it in themain asteroid belt. Along its 3.25 year long orbit, its distance from the Sun varies between 2.07 AU atperihelion to 2.32 AU ataphelion due to itsorbital eccentricity of 0.06. Its orbit isinclined by 6.03° with respect to theecliptic plane.[2]
Rodari is estimated to be 7.63 kilometres (4.74 mi) in size, and is classified as a stonyS-type asteroid.[3]: 876 Observations of Rodari'slightcurve, or variations in its observed brightness, show that it is quite asymmetric, complicating the determination of itsrotation period. Nevertheless, analysis by a team of astronomers led by Claudia A. Angeli and published in 2001 revealed that it has a rotation period of about 5.5 hours.[4]: 2250
Rodari was chosen as the secondflyby target for theEuropean Space Agency's (ESA)Rosetta mission in 1996, replacing2530 Shipka to conservedelta-v. Under the 1996 mission baseline,Rosetta would have encountered Rodari on 5 April 2008 following an earlier encounter with3840 Mimistrobell in 2006. It would then continue en route to comet46P/Wirtanen.[8]: 1 However, the ESA again changedRosetta's targets in 1999, dropping Rodari and Mimistrobell in favor of140 Siwa and4979 Otawara as they viewed Siwa as more scientifically interesting.[9]: 71 Originally planned to launch on 12 January 2003,Rosetta missed both targets and 46P/Wirtanen due to issues with theAriane 5 rocket.[10] It launched in 2004, visiting2867 Šteins,21 Lutetia, and its primary target67P/Churyumov–Gerasimenko.[11][12]
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