| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. P. Candy |
| Discovery site | Perth Obs. |
| Discovery date | 20 March 1980 |
| Designations | |
| (3893) DeLaeter | |
Named after | John Robert de Laeter[2] (Australian scientist) |
| 1980 FG12 · 1977 SX2 1984 KE | |
| main-belt · Phocaea[3] Hungaria · background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 39.52 yr (14,435 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0626AU |
| Perihelion | 1.7817 AU |
| 2.4221 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2644 |
| 3.77yr (1,377 days) | |
| 255.66° | |
| 0° 15m 41.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 23.080° |
| 196.76° | |
| 107.58° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 10.97±1.24 km[5] 11.38±3.31 km[6] 12.12±0.17 km[7] 12.786±0.102 km[8] 12.935±0.100 km[9] 13.95 km(calculated)[3] |
| 5.633±0.003h[a] 13.83±0.01 h[10] | |
| 0.0573±0.0025[3][9] 0.059±0.002[7] 0.068±0.015[8] 0.07±0.03[5] 0.08±0.07[6] | |
| S(assumed)[3] | |
| 13.0[3][9] · 13.10[6] · 13.2[1] · 13.30[7] · 13.31[5] · 13.37±0.24[11] | |
3893 DeLaeter, provisional designation1980 FG12, is anasteroid from the inner regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 March 1980, by British astronomerMichael Candy at thePerth Observatory in Bickley, Australia.[12] The asteroid was named after Australian scientistJohn Robert de Laeter.[2]
DeLaeter is a non-family asteroid of the main belt'sbackground population when applying theHierarchical Clustering Method to itsproper orbital elements.[4] The asteroid has also been considered a dynamicalHungaria asteroid and a member of the stonyPhocaea family.[3][10] It orbits the Sun in theinner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–3.1 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,377 days;semi-major axis of 2.42 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.26 and aninclination of 23° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
The asteroid was first identified as1977 SX2 atCrimea–Nauchnij in September 1977. The body'sobservation arc begins with aprecovery taken atPalomar Observatory in October 1977, or two and a half years prior to its official discovery observation at Bickley.[12]
DeLaeter is an assumedS-type asteroid,[3] which contradicts the low albedo measured by the space-based surveys(see below).
Photometric observations made by American astronomerRobert Stephens in June 2003 at the Santana Observatory (646) in Rancho Cucamonga, California, gave a synodicrotation period of 13.83 hours and a brightness variation of 0.33magnitude (U=2).[10] In May 2014, alightcurve obtained byBrian Warner at the Palmer Divide Station (U82) gave a divergent period of 5.633 hours with an amplitude of 0.13 (U=2).[a]
According to the surveys carried out by the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,DeLaeter measures between 10.97 and 12.935 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.0573 and 0.08.[5][6][7][8][9]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts an albedo of 0.0573 and calculates a diameter of 13.95 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 13.0.[3]
Thisminor planet was named after Australian scientistJohn Robert de Laeter (1933–2010), who was a professor atCurtin University in Western Australia. His research included pioneering application ofmass spectrometry and problems in the field ofnuclear physics,cosmochemistry,geochronology,isotope geochemistry. He was also a supporter of thePerth Observatory where this asteroid was discovered.[2]
The official naming citation was published by theMinor Planet Center on 28 August 1996 (M.P.C. 27733).[13]
