1136 Mercedes
Main-belt asteroid
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
1136 Mercedes, provisional designation 1929 UA, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 26 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 October 1929, by Catalan astronomer Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in Barcelona, Spain.[14] The asteroid was named for the sister-in-law of the discoverer.[2]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. Comas Solà |
| Discovery site | Fabra Obs. |
| Discovery date | 30 October 1929 |
| Designations | |
| (1136) Mercedes | |
Named after | Mercedes[2] (discoverer's sister-in-law) |
| 1929 UA · 1966 XB | |
| main-belt · (middle) background[3] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.23 yr (31,497 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.2207 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.9111 AU |
| 2.5659 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2552 |
| 4.11 yr (1,501 days) | |
| 171.68° | |
| 0° 14m 23.28s / day | |
| Inclination | 8.9825° |
| 209.53° | |
| 148.49° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 25.23 km (derived)[4] 25.296±0.249 km[5] 26.29±6.21 km[6] 26.349±0.078 km[7] 26.66±0.28 km[8] 33.19±6.54 km[9] |
| 6.448±0.002 h[10] 15.6 h (poor)[11] 24.64±0.01 h[12] | |
| 0.05±0.04[9] 0.08±0.06[6] 0.084±0.015[5] 0.1007 (derived)[4] 0.1018±0.0230[7] 0.103±0.003[8] | |
| S (assumed)[4] | |
| 11.00[7][8] · 11.10[4][6] · 11.2[1] · 11.22[9] · 11.68±0.75[13] | |
Orbit and classification
Mercedes is not a member of any known asteroid family and belongs to the belt's background population.[3] It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 1.9â3.2 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,501 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins at Yerkes Observatory in March 1931, more than a year after its official discovery observation at Fabra.[14]
Physical characteristics
Mercedes is an assumed S-type asteroid.[4]
Rotation period
The asteroid has an ambiguous rotation period. A lightcurve of Mercedes obtained in 1998, gave a period of 6.448 hours and a brightness variation of 0.10 magnitude (U=2),[10] while another lightcurve from 2007, gave a much longer period of 24.64 hours with an amplitude of 0.15 (U=2).[12] A third period of 15.6 hours is considered of poor quality (U=1).[11]
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, Mercedes measures between 25.296 and 33.19 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.05 and 0.103.[5][6][7][8][9]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1007 and a diameter of 25.23 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.1.[4]
Naming
This minor planet was named by Josep Comas i Solà for his sister-in-law, Mercedes. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 106).[2]
