3267 Glo
Asteroid
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3267 Glo, provisional designation 1981 AA, is an eccentric Phocaean asteroid and sizable Mars-crosser from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6.4 kilometers (4.0 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 3 January 1981, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona.[1] It was later named after American astronomer Eleanor Helin.[2]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Bowell |
| Discovery site | Anderson Mesa Stn. |
| Discovery date | 3 January 1981 |
| Designations | |
| (3267) Glo | |
Named after | Eleanor F. Helin (American astronomer)[2] |
| 1981 AA | |
| Mars-crosser[1][3] Phocaea[4][5] | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 36.49 yr (13,329 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.0178 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.6424 AU |
| 2.3301 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2951 |
| 3.56 yr (1,299 d) | |
| 196.67° | |
| 0° 16m 37.56s / day | |
| Inclination | 24.021° |
| 110.47° | |
| 307.73° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 6.45±1.44 km[6] 7.58±0.76 km[7] 13.56±1.1 km[8] 13.59 km (derived)[4] | |
| 6.8782±0.0011 h[4][a] | |
| 0.0607±0.011[8] 0.0725 (derived)[4] 0.233±0.047[7] 0.26±0.12[6] | |
| LS[9] · S (derived)[4] | |
| 12.8[3][4][7] · 12.86±0.14[9] 13.19[6] | |
Orbit and classification
Glo is an eccentric member of the Phocaea family (701),[5] that orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.6–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,299 days; semi-major axis of 2.33 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.30 and an inclination of 24° with respect to the ecliptic.[3]
The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa in January 1981.[1]
Physical characteristics
The asteroid has been characterized as an L- and S-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS large-scale survey.[9]
Spectral type
PanSTARRS' photometric survey, has characterized Glo as a LS-type asteroid, a transitional spectral type between the common S-type and rather rare L-type asteroids,[9] which have very different albedos, from as low as 0.039 to as high as 0.383.[10]
Rotation period
A rotational lightcurve of Glo was obtained from photometric observations by Czech astronomer Petr Pravec at Ondřejov Observatory in January 2006. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 6.8782 hours with a brightness variation of 0.33 magnitude (U=3).[4]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Glo measures 6.45 and 13.56 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.061 and 0.26, respectively.[6][8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with IRAS and derives a similar albedo of 0.0725 and a diameter of 13.59 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.8.[4][a]
Naming
This minor planet was named in honor of Eleanor "Glo" Helin (1932–2009), who was a planetary scientist at JPL and a prolific discoverer of minor planets.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 13 February 1987 (M.P.C. 11641).[11]
Notes
- Lightcurve plot of 3267 Glo giving a rotation period of 6.8782 hours with an amplitude of 0.0329 magnitude, taken from unpublished data of the Ondrejov Asteroid Photometry Project. Summary figures at the LCDB.
