| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Bowell |
| Discovery site | Anderson Mesa Stn. |
| Discovery date | 28 April 1982 |
| Designations | |
| (2956) Yeomans | |
Named after | Donald Keith Yeomans (American astronomer)[2] |
| 1982 HN1 · 1950 JG 1974 RN1 · 1977 DL10 | |
| main-belt · (middle)[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 42.45 yr (15,504 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0155AU |
| Perihelion | 2.5142 AU |
| 2.7648 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0907 |
| 4.60yr (1,679 days) | |
| 229.98° | |
| 0° 12m 51.84s / day | |
| Inclination | 2.8688° |
| 112.21° | |
| 124.34° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 9.350±0.183 km[4][5] 11.30 km(derived)[3] |
| 3.4±0.1h[6] 3.509±0.0158 h[7] | |
| 0.20(assumed)[3] 0.292±0.014[4][5] | |
| SMASS = Sr[1] · S[3] | |
| 12.1[5][3] · 12.3[1] · 12.39±0.07[8] · 12.878±0.003(S)[7] | |
2956 Yeomans, provisional designation1982 HN1, is a stonyasteroid from the central regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 28 April 1982, by astronomerEdward Bowell at theAnderson Mesa Station of theLowell Observatory in near Flagstaff, Arizona.[9] It was named after American astronomerDonald Keith Yeomans.[2]
Yeomans is a non-family asteroid from the asteroid belt'sbackground population. It orbits the Sun in thecentral main-belt at a distance of 2.5–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 7 months (1,679 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.09 and aninclination of 3° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
The asteroid was first identified as1950 JG at theJohannesburg Observatory in May 1950. The body'sobservation arc begins with its identification as1974 RN1 atCrimea–Nauchnij in September 1974, almost 8 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.[9]
In theSMASS classification,Yeomans is an Sr-subtype that transitions from the stonyS-types to the uncommonR-type asteroids.[1]
In April 2014, a rotationallightcurve ofYeomans was obtained from photometric observations made at theIsaac Aznar Observatory in Spain. Lightcurve analysis gave arotation period of 3.4 hours with a brightness variation of 0.28magnitude (U=2).[6] A similar period of 3.509 hours with an amplitude of 0.24 magnitude was found by astronomers at thePalomar Transient Factory in October 2011 (U=2).[7]
According to the survey carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Yeomans measures 9.350 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.292.[4][5] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and derives a diameter of 11.30 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 12.1.[3]
Thisminor planet was named after American astronomerDonald Keith Yeomans, acelestial mechanician atJPL andastrometry-expert of theInternational Halley Watch.[2] The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 18 September 1986 (M.P.C. 11158).[10]
