891 Gunhild
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_Gunhild.png) Modelled shape of Gunhild from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. F. Wolf |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 17 May 1918 |
| Designations | |
| (891) Gunhild | |
Named after | unknown[2] |
| A918 KB · 1977 FH 1999 CF154 · A915 VE 1918 DQ · 1915 VE | |
| main-belt[1][3] · (outer) background[4][5] | |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 101.70 yr (37,145 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.9444 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7799 AU |
| 2.8622 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0287 |
| 4.84 yr (1,769 d) | |
| 232.57° | |
| 0° 12m 12.6s / day | |
| Inclination | 13.559° |
| 105.85° | |
| 292.38° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 11.892±0.001 h[9] | |
| 10.0[1][3] | |
891 Gunhild (prov. designation: A918 KB or 1918 DQ) is a large background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, that measures approximately 58 kilometers (36 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 17 May 1918, by astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany.[1] The dark D-type asteroid has a rotation period of 11.9 hours. Any reference of the asteroid's name to a person is unknown.[2]
Gunhild 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 outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.8–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,769 days; semi-major axis of 2.86 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.03 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] The asteroid was first observed as A915 VE (1915 VE) at Simeiz Observatory in November 1915. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg Observatory on 18 May 1918, the night after its official discovery observation.[1]
Naming
This minor planet is named after a Feminine German first name. Any reference of this name to a person or occurrence is unknown.[2]
Unknown meaning
Among the many thousands of named minor planets, Gunhild is one of 120 asteroids, for which no official naming citation has been published. All of these low-numbered asteroids have numbers between 164 Eva and 1514 Ricouxa and were discovered between 1876 and the 1930s, predominantly by astronomers Auguste Charlois, Johann Palisa, Max Wolf and Karl Reinmuth.[12]
