1299 Mertona
Bright background asteroid
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1299 Mertona (prov. designation: 1934 BA) is a bright background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 18 January 1934, by French astronomer Guy Reiss at Algiers Observatory, Algeria, in northern Africa.[1] The likely stony asteroid with an unknown spectral type has a rotation period of 5.0 hours and measures approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in diameter. It was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton.[2]
_Mertona.png)
Modelled shape of Mertona, from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Reiss |
| Discovery site | Algiers Obs. |
| Discovery date | 18 January 1934 |
| Designations | |
| (1299) Mertona | |
Named after | Gerald Merton (English astronomer)[2] |
| 1934 BA | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 82.85 yr (30,260 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.3325 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.2706 AU |
| 2.8016 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1895 |
| 4.69 yr (1,713 days) | |
| 328.61° | |
| 0° 12m 36.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 7.8754° |
| 165.61° | |
| 260.44° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 14.140±0.322 km[6] 14.90±1.23 km[7] | |
| 4.977±0.003 h[8] | |
Pole ecliptic latitude | (73.0°, 35.0°) (λ1/β1)[5] |
| 0.219±0.038[7] 0.243±0.033[6] | |
| unknown | |
| 11.277±0.002 (R)[9] · 11.4[10][7] · 11.5[3][11] | |
Orbit and classification
Mertona is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[4][5] It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3â3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,713 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] As neither precoveries nor prior identifications were obtained, Mertona's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Algiers.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton (1893â1983),[2] who was president of the British Astronomical Association between 1950 and 1952.[12] The naming was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 119).[2]
Physical characteristics
Rotation period
Several rotational lightcurves of Mertona were obtained during 2003â2016. Photometric observations were taken by astronomers Andy Monson and Steven Kipp (4.977±0.003 hours; Î0.55 mag; U=3) in November 2003,[8] by French amateur astronomer René Roy (4.981±0.002 hours; Î0.46 mag; U=3) in March 2005,[13] by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory (4.9787±0.0013 hours, Î0.48 mag, U=2) in August 2012,[9] and by Daniel Klinglesmith (4.978±0.002 hours, Î0.59 mag, U=3) at Etscorn Observatory (719) in Socorro, New Mexico.[14] In addition, a 2016-published lightcurve, modelling data from the Lowell photometric database, gave a concurring period of 4.97691±0.00001 hours and a spin axis of (73.0°, 35.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (U=n.a.).[15]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Mertona measures between 14.14 and 14.90 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.219 and 0.243.[6][7] Although such a high albedo is typical for stony asteroids, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.057, which it uses as the generic albedo for all carbonaceous C-type asteroids. It therefore calculates a larger diameter of 27.90 kilometers (as the lower the albedo or reflectivity, the larger a body's diameter at an unchanged absolute magnitude or brightness).[11] Carbonaceous asteroids are the predominant type in the outer main-belt, while stony asteroids are mostly found in the inner regions of the asteroid belt.
