| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | L. Carnera |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 9 July 1902 |
| Designations | |
| (487) Venetia | |
| Pronunciation | /vɪˈniːʃə/[2] |
Named after | Veneto(Italian region)[3] |
| 1902 JL | |
| main-belt · (middle)[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 114.63 yr (41,868 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.9063AU |
| Perihelion | 2.4333 AU |
| 2.6698 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0886 |
| 4.36yr (1,593 days) | |
| 8.3676° | |
| 0° 13m 33.24s / day | |
| Inclination | 10.245° |
| 114.82° | |
| 280.52° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 59.046±0.458 km[5] 63.15±1.3 km(IRAS:22)[6] 65.562±0.795 km[7] 66.13±0.84 km[8] |
| 10.62±0.02 h[9] 12.73 h[10] 13.28 h[11] 13.33170 h[12] 13.34±0.01 h[4][13] 13.34153 h[14] 13.342±0.002 h[15] 18h(dated)[16] | |
| 0.2284±0.0421[7] 0.239±0.008[8] 0.2457±0.011(IRAS:22)[6] 0.328±0.043[5] | |
| B–V = 0.852[1] U–B = 0.424[1] Tholen =S[1] · K[17] · S[4] | |
| 8.14[1][4][6][7][8] | |
487 Venetia, provisional designation1902 JL, is a rare-type stonyasteroid from the middle regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 63 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 July 1902, by Italian astronomerLuigi Carnera atHeidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany.[18] It was later named for the ItalianVeneto region where the city ofVenice is located.[3]
Venetia orbits the Sun in themiddle main-belt at a distance of 2.4–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 4 months (1,593 days). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.09 and aninclination of 10° with respect to theecliptic.[1]The body'sobservation arc begins in 1913, at the Collegio Romano Observatory (531) in Italy, approximately 17 months after its official discovery observation at Heidelberg.[18]
On the taxonomic scheme,Venetia is a common, featurelessS-type asteroid.[1] More recently, polarimetric observations refined its classification to a rareK-type asteroid.[17]
In March 2014, the so-far best rated rotationallightcurve was obtained by Italian astronomer Andrea Ferrero at the Bigmuskie Observatory (B88) in Mombercelli, Italy. It gave a well-definedrotation period of 13.34 hours with a brightness variation of 0.20magnitude (U=3).[4][13] The result supersedes previously measured periods of 10.62 to 18 hours.[9][10][11][16]
In two separate studies, groups of German, Russian and Swedish astronomers also modeledVenetia's lightcurve from various data sources in 2000 and 2002. They found twospin axes of (259.0°, −30.0°) and (268.0°, −24.0°) inecliptic coordinates (λ, β), as well as a concurring rotation period of 13.33170 and 13.34153 hours, respectively (U=n.a.).[12][14]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite, and NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequentNEOWISE mission,Venetia measures between 59.046 and 66.13 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.228 and 0.328.[5][6][7][8] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results obtained by IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.2457 and a diameter of 63.15 kilometers with anabsolute magnitude of 8.14.[4]
Thisminor planet was named for the region ofVeneto with its capital and largest cityVenice. The region is located in northeast Italy between thePo River and the Alps. Naming was proposed by Italian astronomerElia Millosevich.[3]
Naming citation was first mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 52) and amended byLutz Schmadel for theDictionary of Minor Planet Names based on a private communication with astronomerPiero Sicoli.[3]
