1102 Pepita
Stony background asteroid
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1102 Pepita, provisional designation 1928 VA, is a stony background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 39 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 November 1928, by Catalan astronomer Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain.[14] It was named after the discoverer by the feminine form of his nickname.[2] The asteroid has a rotation period of 5.1 hours.[3]
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Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Pepita | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. Comas Solà |
| Discovery site | Fabra Obs. |
| Discovery date | 5 November 1928 |
| Designations | |
| (1102) Pepita | |
Named after | Josep Comas i Solà [2] (discoverer himself) |
| 1928 VA · 1960 WQ A899 KB | |
| main-belt · (outer)[3] background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.24 yr (31,499 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4119 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7311 AU |
| 3.0715 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1108 |
| 5.38 yr (1,966 days) | |
| 267.80° | |
| 0° 10m 59.16s / day | |
| Inclination | 15.828° |
| 216.59° | |
| 116.55° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 30.88±1.59 km[5] 36.632±0.378 km[6] 39.27±2.1 km[7] 41.02±0.74 km[8] 41.733±0.308 km[9] | |
| 5.1±0.1 h[10] 5.1040±0.0003 h[10] 5.10532±0.00005 h[11] 5.1054±0.0002 h[12] | |
| 0.1842±0.0220[9] 0.188±0.007[8] 0.1991±0.023[7] 0.229±0.054[6] 0.322±0.058[5] | |
| Tholen = C[1] SMASS = S[1][3] BâV = 0.724[1] UâB = 0.424[1] | |
| 8.68±0.65[13] 9.40[1][3][5][7][8][9] | |
Orbit and classification
Pepita is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[4] It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.7â3.4 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,966 days; semi-major axis of 3.07 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 16° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
In May 1899, the asteroid was first observed as A899 KB at Harvard's Boyden Station in Arequipa, Peru (800). The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Barcelona.[14]
Physical characteristics
In the SMASS classification, Pepita is a stony S-type asteroid, which agrees with the body's measured geometric albedo (see below).[1][3] Conversely, it is also classified as a carbonaceous C-type asteroid by Tholen.[1]
Rotation period and poles
Three rotational lightcurves of Pepita were obtained from photometric observations by astronomers Hilari Pallares and Enric Forné (2006, U=2), Pierre Antonini and René Roy (2007, U=3), as well as by Robert Stephens (2007, U=3).[10][12] The consolidated lightcurve gave a well-defined rotation period of 5.1054 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.31 and 0.36 magnitude.[1][12]
In 2011, a modeled lightcurve using data from the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue and other sources gave a concurring sidereal period 5.10532 hours, as well as two spin axes of (25.0°, â34.0°) and (231.0°, â30.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[11]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Pepita measures between 30.88 and 41.733 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1842 and 0.322.[5][6][7][8][9]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results obtained by IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.1991 and a diameter of 39.27 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.40.[3][7]
Naming
This minor planet was named after the discoverer, Josep Comas i Solà (1868â1937), by the feminine form of his nickname, "Pepito". He was the first director of the discovering Fabra Observatory and founded the Astronomical Society of Spain and America (Spanish: Sociedad Astronomica de España y América, SADEYA).[2]
The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 104).[2] The asteroid 1655 Comas Solà is also named after him, as is the Martian crater Comas Sola.[15]
