_Lova.png) Modelled shape ofLova from itslightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. F. Wolf |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 26 April 1917 |
| Designations | |
| (868) Lova | |
Named after | unknown[2] |
| A917 HB · 1925 FB 1957 EO · 1917 BU | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 102.77yr (37,538 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.1052AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3031 AU |
| 2.7041 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1483 |
| 4.45 yr (1,624 d) | |
| 224.48° | |
| 0° 13m 18.12s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.8386° |
| 115.78° | |
| 286.74° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 43.3 km × 64.3 km[5] |
| 41.118±0.011 h[10] | |
| 10.3[1][3] | |
868 Lova (prov. designation:A917 HBor1917 BU) is a large and darkbackground asteroid, approximately 51 kilometers (32 miles) in diameter, from the central regions of theasteroid belt. It was discovered by German astronomerMax Wolf at theHeidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory on 26 April 1917.[1] The carbonaceousC-type asteroid (Ch) and has a longrotation period of 41.1 hours and is likely elongated in shape. The origin of the asteroid's name remains unknown.[2]
Lova is a non-family asteroid of the main belt'sbackground population when applying thehierarchical clustering method to itsproper orbital elements.[4][5] It orbits the Sun in thecentral asteroid belt at a distance of 2.3–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 5 months (1,624 days;semi-major axis of 2.7 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.15 and aninclination of 6° with respect to theecliptic.[3] The body'sobservation arc begins atHeidelberg Observatory on 3 March 1930, almost 13 years after its official discovery observation.[1]
Thisminor planet was named by the discoverer. Any reference of this name to a person or occurrence is unknown.[2]
Among the many thousands ofnamed minor planets,Lova is one of 120 asteroids, for which no official naming citation has been published. All of these low-numbered asteroids have numbers between164 Eva and1514 Ricouxa and were discovered between 1876 and the 1930s, predominantly by astronomersAuguste Charlois,Johann Palisa,Max Wolf andKarl Reinmuth.[11]
In theTholen classification,Lova is a common, darkC-type asteroid with a noisy spectrum (:),[3] while in the Bus–BinzelSMASS classification, it is a hydrated, carbonaceous subtype (Ch).[12]
In November 2017, a rotationallightcurve ofLova was obtained fromphotometric observations byTom Polakis at the Command Module Observatory (V02) in Arizona. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-definedrotation period of41.118±0.011 hours with a brightness variation of0.28±0.01magnitude (U=3).[10] While not being aslow rotator, which have periods of 100 or more hours,Lova's period is significantly longer than the vast majority of asteroids, which rotate within 2.2 to 20 hours once around their axis.
A lower-rated lightcurve by French amateur astronomerLaurent Bernasconi gave a similar period of41.3±0.2 hours with a higher amplitude of0.40±0.01 magnitude, indicative of an elongated shape (U=2).[13] The results supersede a period determination with a lower limit of24 hours and amplitude of at least0.11 magnitude byBrian Warner at his Palmer Divide Observatory in Colorado from November 1999 (U=2). In 2006, Warner revised his photometric data, though with no notable improvement or change for this asteroid.[14][15][a]
According to the surveys carried out by theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE), the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, and the JapaneseAkari satellite,Lova measures (50.692±0.191), (52.47±1.5) and (55.45±0.73) kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo of (0.056±0.006), (0.0524±0.003) and (0.048±0.002), respectively.[7][8][9] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results from IRAS, that is, a low albedo of 0.0524 and a diameter of 52.47 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 10.22.[12] Alternative mean-diameter measurements published by the WISE team include (49.742±17.318 km), (50.057±12.98 km), (51.194±0.567 km) and (59.77±19.19 km) with corresponding albedos of (0.0400±0.02), (0.0400±0.0411), (0.0550±0.0072) and (0.03±0.01).[5][12]
Twoasteroid occultations, observed on 5 April 2006 and 12 July 2007, gave a best-fit ellipse dimension of (52.0 × 52.0) and (43.3 × 64.3) kilometers, respectively, with the latter being the better rated one.[5] These timed observations are taken when the asteroid passes in front of a distant star.[5]
