1230 Riceia
Main-belt asteroid
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1230 Riceia, provisional designation 1931 TX1, is a stony background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 October 1931, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory.[8] The asteroid was named after Hugh Rice, amateur astronomer of New York and director of the Museum of Natural Sciences.[2]
_Riceia.png)
Shape model of Riceia from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | K. Reinmuth |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 9 October 1931 |
| Designations | |
| (1230) Riceia | |
| Pronunciation | /ËraɪsiÉ/ |
Named after | Hugh Rice[2] (U.S. amateur astronomer) |
| 1931 TX1 · 1964 TS 1964 UE · 1975 HH | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] background[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 86.13 yr (31,459 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.0335 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.1104 AU |
| 2.5719 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1795 |
| 4.12 yr (1,507 days) | |
| 288.81° | |
| 0° 14m 20.4s / day | |
| Inclination | 10.515° |
| 200.55° | |
| 185.25° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 6.194±0.344 km[5] 7.46 km (calculated)[3] |
| 6.67317±0.00001 h[6] | |
| 0.20 (assumed)[3] 0.318±0.037[5] | |
| S[3][7] | |
| 12.90[5] · 13.0[1][3] · 13.11±0.22[7] | |
Orbit and classification
Riceia is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[4] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1â3.0 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,507 days; semi-major axis of 2.57 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg on 17 October 1931, or eight days after its official discovery observation.[8]
Physical characteristics
Riceia has been characterized as a stony S-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS photometric survey.[7]
Rotation period and pole
In 2016, a rotational lightcurve of Riceia was modeled from photometric data from the Lowell Photometric Database. Lightcurve analysis gave a sidereal rotation period of 6.67317 hours as well as a spin axis of (37.0°, â63.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[6]
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Riceia measures 6.19 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.318.[5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 7.46 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 13.0.[3]
Naming
This minor planet was named after American amateur astronomer Hugh Rice, director of the Museum of Natural Sciences (possibly AMNH).[2] The naming was proposed by Irving Meyer and endorsed by German astronomer Gustav Stracke who mentioned on a postcard in February 1937, that his American college, Meyer, who himself did not discover any asteroids, requested the naming after the city of Rutherford, where a private observatory was located at the time.[9]
The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 113).[2]
