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1909 Alekhin, provisional designation 1972 RW₂, is a stony asteroid and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 September 1972, by Russian–Ukrainian astronomer Lyudmila Zhuravleva at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Nauchnyj, on the Crimean peninsula, and named after chess grandmaster and World Chess Champion Alexander Alekhine.

Orbit and classification

The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,377 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.23 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.

Physical characteristics

Slow rotator

Alekhin is a slow rotator. In March 2009 and September 2010, two rotational lightcurves for Alekhin were obtained from photometric observations made by the Palomar Transient Factory and by astronomer Roger Dymock, respectively. The lightcurves gave a rotation period of 148 hours with a brightness variation of 0.42–0.45 magnitude (U=2/3).

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Alekhin measures between 15.5 and 18.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.046 to 0.070. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.045 and a diameter of 17.3 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.8.

Occultation

Alekhin is scheduled to occlude a 9.1 magnitude star in the Leo constellation on 30 November 2008, dimming the magnitude of both heavenly bodies for a maximum duration of 0.6 seconds. Astronomers had, as of March 2008, not predicted an optimal trajectory for the event.

Naming

This minor planet was named in honour of Russian-born Alexander Alekhine (1892–1946), chess grandmaster, considered one of the greatest chess players ever. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3937).

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1909 Alekhin (1972 RW2)" (2017-05-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 9 June 2017.
2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1909) Alekhin". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1909) Alekhin. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 153. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1910. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. ^ "LCDB Data for (1909) Alekhin". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 10 December 2016.
4. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. S2CID 46350317. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
5. ^ Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System – IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. 12. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 17 October 2019.
6. ^ Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. Retrieved 17 October 2019. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
7. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. S2CID 119293330. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
8. ^ Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90. S2CID 118700974.
9. ^ 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. S2CID 8342929. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
10. ^ Dymock, Roger (October 2009). "Lightcurve and Absolute Magnitude of 1909 Alekhin". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (4): 182–183. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..182D. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
11. Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. S2CID 53493339. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
12. Faure, Gerard; Garrett, Lawrence (October 2009). "Suggested Revised H Values of Selected Asteroids: Report Number 4". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (4): 140–143. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..140F. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
13. "1909 Alekhin (1972 RW2)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 December 2016.
14. Preston, Steve (14 May 2007). "IOTA/IOTA-ES occultation update for (1909) Alekhin / TYC 0264-00685-1 event on 2008 Nov 30, 06:05 UT". asteroidocculatation.com. Retrieved 9 March 2008.
15. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. Bibcode:2009dmpn.book.....S. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.

External links

• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
• 1909 Alekhin at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 1909 Alekhin 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 Lyudmila Zhuravleva
• Named minor planets
• Slow rotating minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1972
• Alexander Alekhine