6433 Enya
Stony background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt
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6433 Enya, provisional designation 1978 WC, is a stony background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 18 November 1978, by Czech astronomer Antonín Mrkos at the Kleť Observatory in the Czech Republic.[10] It was named for Irish musician Enya.[2]
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | A. Mrkos |
| Discovery site | Kleť Obs. |
| Discovery date | 18 November 1978 |
| Designations | |
Named after | Enya (Irish musician)[2] |
| 1978 WC · 1952 UH 1989 WZ4 | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] background | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 64.53 yr (23,568 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.9085 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.8673 AU |
| 2.3879 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.2180 |
| 3.69 yr (1,348 days) | |
| 191.23° | |
| 0° 16m 1.56s / day | |
| Inclination | 8.6309° |
| 87.329° | |
| 317.28° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 3.68 km (calculated)[3] 6.69±0.97 km[4] 7.08±1.79 km[5] 7.416±0.165 km[6][7] |
| 7.400±0.0064 h[8] | |
| 0.06±0.04[5] 0.081±0.012[6][7] 0.090±0.025[4] 0.20 (assumed)[3] | |
| S[3] | |
| 14.0[6] · 14.00±0.55[9] · 14.087±0.003 (R)[8] · 14.10[4] · 14.3[1] · 14.37[5] · 14.54[3] | |
Orbit and classification
Enya is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.9–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,348 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Enya was first identified as 1952 UH at Goethe Link Observatory in 1952. The body's observation arc, however, begins with its official discovery observation at Kleť in 1978.[10]
Physical characteristics
Enya is a presumed S-type asteroid.[3]
Rotation period
In March 2013, a fragmentary rotational lightcurve of Enya was obtained from photometric observations at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 7.4 hours with a brightness variation of 0.08 magnitude (U=1).[8]
As of 2017, no other lightcurve has since been obtained from Enya.[3]
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Enya measures between 6.69 and 7.416 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.012 and 0.090.[4][5][6][7]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 3.68 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 14.54.[3]
Naming
This minor planet was named after Eithne Pádraigín Ní Bhraonáin (born 1961), known as Enya, an Irish singer, songwriter, musician, and producer.[2] Naming was proposed by G. V. Williams and published on 20 June 1997 (M.P.C. 30099).[11]
