| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Bowell |
| Discovery site | Anderson Mesa Stn. |
| Discovery date | 15 October 1985 |
| Designations | |
| (4446) Carolyn | |
Named after | Carolyn Shoemaker[1] (American astronomer) |
| 1985 TT · 1977 RC6 | |
| main-belt · (outer)[2] Hilda[1][3] · background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 40.47yr (14,780 d) |
| Aphelion | 5.1111AU |
| Perihelion | 2.8696 AU |
| 3.9903 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2809 |
| 7.97 yr (2,911 d) | |
| 76.416° | |
| 0° 7m 24.96s / day | |
| Inclination | 7.2387° |
| 189.03° | |
| 117.01° | |
| Jupiter MOID | 0.6421 AU |
| TJupiter | 2.9720 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 28.645±0.290 km[5] 31.57±1.44 km[6] 32.03 km(calculated)[3] | |
| 40.92±0.01 h[7][a] | |
| 0.057(assumed)[3] 0.075±0.008[6] 0.086±0.026[5] | |
| C(assumed)[3] | |
| 11.10[6] · 11.12±0.41[8] 11.2[2][3] | |
4446 Carolyn, provisional designation1985 TT, is a dark Hildianasteroid from the outermost regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers (19 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1985, by American astronomerEdward Bowell at theAnderson Mesa Station of theLowell Observatory near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States. The asteroid was named after American astronomerCarolyn Shoemaker.[1] It has a longer than averagerotation period of 40.9 hours.[3]
Carolyn is a member of the dynamicalHilda group of asteroids.[1][3] However, it is not a member of anyasteroid family but an asteroid of the main-belt'sbackground population when applying thehierarchical clustering method to itsproper orbital elements.[4] It orbits the Sun in theoutermost asteroid belt at a distance of 2.9–5.1 AU once every 8 years (2,911 days;semi-major axis of 3.99 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.28 and aninclination of 7° with respect to theecliptic.[2]
The body'sobservation arc begins with its first observations as1977 RC6 atCrimea–Nauchnij in September 1977, or 8 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.[1]
Carolyn is an assumed carbonaceousC-type asteroid.[3]
In July 2016, a first rotationallightcurve ofCarolyn was obtained fromphotometric observations by astronomersBrian Warner,Robert Stephens and Dan Coley at theCenter for Solar System Studies in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-definedrotation period of 40.92 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.22magnitude (U=3).[7][a] While not being aslow rotator, its period is significantly longer than the typical 2 to 20 hours measured for most asteroids.
According to the surveys carried out by the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Carolyn measures 28.645 and 31.57 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of 0.086 and 0.075, respectively.[5][6]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 32.03 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 11.2.[3]
Thisminor planet was named by the discoverer after American astronomerCarolyn Shoemaker (born 1929), a prolificdiscoverer of minor planets andcomets, such asComet Shoemaker–Levy 9. Many of her discoveries were co-discoveries with her husbandGene Shoemaker. The official naming citation was prepared byDavid Levy andJean Mueller, and published by theMinor Planet Center on 27 June 1991 (M.P.C. 18458).[9]
