1067 Lunaria
Itha asteroid
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1067 Lunaria, provisional designation 1926 RG, is a stony Itha asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 18 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 September 1926, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany.[13] The asteroid was named after the flowering plant Lunaria (honesty).[3]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | K. Reinmuth |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 9 September 1926 |
| Designations | |
| (1067) Lunaria | |
| Pronunciation | /luËËnÉÉriÉ/[2] |
Named after | Lunaria (flowering plant)[3] |
| 1926 RG · 1974 PJ 1974 QC3 | |
| main-belt · (outer)[4] Itha[5] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 90.74 yr (33,142 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4206 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.3207 AU |
| 2.8706 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1916 |
| 4.86 yr (1,777 days) | |
| 222.90° | |
| 0° 12m 9.36s / day | |
| Inclination | 10.547° |
| 289.59° | |
| 115.03° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 15.43±0.73 km[6] 18.02±1.33 km[7] 18.07 km (derived)[4] 20.011±0.100 km[8] 22.968±0.243 km[9] |
| 6.057±0.001 h[10] 7.74 h[11] | |
| 0.1240±0.0225[9] 0.185±0.012[8] 0.20 (assumed)[4] 0.221±0.034[7] 0.298±0.057[6] | |
| L/S[12] · S[4] | |
| 10.85±0.31[12] · 10.99[1][6][7] · 11.08[4][9][11] | |
Orbit and classification
Lunaria is a member of the Itha family,[5] a very small family of asteroids, named after its parent body 918 Itha.[14]:â23â
It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.3â3.4 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,777 days; semi-major axis of 2.87 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg in October 1926, one month after its official discovery observation.[13]
Physical characteristics
Lunaria has been characterized as both L- and S-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS photometric survey.[12] The overall spectral type for the Itha family is that of a stony S-type.[14]:â23â
Rotation period
In July 1984, a first rotational lightcurve of Lunaria was obtained by American astronomer Richard Binzel. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 7.74 hours with a brightness variation of 0.13 magnitude (U=2).[11] In September 2004, Donald Pray at the Carbuncle Hill Observatory (I00) derived a refined period of 6.057 hours with an amplitude of 0.27 magnitude from photometric observations (U=3).[10]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Lunaria measures between 15.43 and 22.968 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1240 and 0.298.[6][7][8][9]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and derives a diameter of 18.07 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.08.[4]
Naming
This minor planet was named after Lunaria (commonly known as "honesty"), a flowering plant in the mustard family. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 101).[3]
Reinmuth's flowers
Due to his many discoveries, Karl Reinmuth submitted a large list of 66 newly named asteroids in the early 1930s. The list covered his discoveries with numbers between (1009) and (1200). This list also contained a sequence of 28 asteroids, starting with 1054 Forsytia, that were exclusively named after plants, in particular flowering plants (also see list of minor planets named after animals and plants).[15]
