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120375 Kugel, provisional designation: 2005 PB₆, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 1 kilometer (0.6 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 10 August 2005, by French amateur astronomer Claudine Rinner at her Ottmarsheim Observatory (224) in France. The stony S/Q-type asteroid in the region of the Florian clan has a tentative rotation period of 6.9 hours. It was named after French astronomer François Kugel.

Orbit and classification

Kugel is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements. Based on osculating Keplerian orbital elements, the asteroid has also been considered a member of the Flora family (402), a giant asteroid clan and the largest family of stony asteroids in the main belt.

It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.8–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,289 days; semi-major axis of 2.32 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its first observation as 1998 SM₁₀₈ at Lincoln Laboratory ETS in September 1998, nearly 7 years prior to its official discovery observation at Ottmarsheim.

Naming

This minor planet was named after French amateur astronomer François Kugel (born 1959), an active observer of comets and a collaborator of the discoverer. He has founded the Chante-Perdrix Observatory (A77) in 2005. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 August 2009 (M.P.C. 66728).

Physical characteristics

In the SDSS-based taxonomy, Kugel has an SQ-type that transitions between the common S-type and less common Q-type asteroids.

Rotation period

In August 2012, a rotational lightcurve of Kugel was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a tentative rotation period of 6.923±0.0085 hours with a weak brightness amplitude of 0.09 magnitude (U=1). As of 2021, no secure period has been obtained.

Diameter and albedo

Kugel has not been observed by any of the space-based surveys such as the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the Akari satellite or IRAS. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora the parent body of the Flora family – and calculates a diameter of 1.05 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 17.07.

References

1. ^ "120375 Kugel (2005 PB6)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
2. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 120375 Kugel (2005 PB6)" (2018-02-26 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
3. ^ "Asteroid 120375 Kugel – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 15 July 2021.
4. ^ "Asteroid 120375 Kugel – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
5. ^ "LCDB Data for (120375) Kugel". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 4 April 2018.
6. ^ Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Retrieved 4 April 2018.
7. ^ Carvano, J. M.; Hasselmann, P. H.; Lazzaro, D.; Mothé-Diniz, T. (February 2010). "SDSS-based taxonomic classification and orbital distribution of main belt asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 510: 12. Bibcode:2010A&A...510A..43C. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/200913322. Retrieved 15 July 2021. (PDS data set)
8. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 4 April 2018.

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (120001)-(125000) – Minor Planet Center
• 120375 Kugel at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 120375 Kugel at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Background asteroids
• Discoveries by Claudine Rinner
• Named minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 2005