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2005 Hencke, provisional designation 1973 RA, is a stony Eunomia asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland, on 2 September 1973. The asteroid was named after German amateur astronomer Karl Ludwig Hencke.

Orbit and classification

The asteroid is a member of the Eunomia family, a large group of S-type asteroids and the most prominent family in the intermediate main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.2–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,550 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic. As no precoveries were taken, the asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovery in 1973.

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

In October 2007, a rotational lightcurve was obtained for this asteroid from photometric observations taken by U.S. astronomer James W. Brinsfield at the Via Capote Observatory in Thousand Oaks, California (G69). The lightcurve gave a rotation period of 10.186±0.006 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.08 in magnitude (U=2).

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 9.4 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.27, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.21, derived from the family's largest member and namesake, 15 Eunomia, and calculates a diameter of 10.5 kilometers.

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of German amateur astronomer Karl Ludwig Hencke (1793–1866), a postmaster by profession, who discovered the main-belt asteroids 5 Astraea and 6 Hebe in 1845 and 1847, respectively. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 October 1977 (M.P.C. 4238).

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2005 Hencke (1973 RA)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2005) Hencke". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2005) Hencke. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 162. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2006. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. ^ "LCDB Data for (2005) Hencke". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 19 July 2016.
4. ^ 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.
5. ^ Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
6. Brinsfield, James W. (June 2008). "The Rotation Periods of 531 Zerlina, 1194 Aleta 1352 Wawel, 2005 Hencke, 2648 Owa, and 3509 Sanshui". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 35 (2): 86–87. Bibcode:2008MPBu...35...86B. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
7. 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. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
8. ^ "2005 Hencke (1973 RA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 19 July 2016.
9. 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. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.

External links

• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Eunomia asteroids
• Discoveries by Paul Wild (Swiss astronomer)
• Named minor planets
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1973