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2478 Tokai, provisionally designated 1981 JC, is a stony Florian asteroid and binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 May 1981, by Japanese astronomer Toshimasa Furuta at Tōkai Observatory (879), Japan. The asteroid was named after the city of Tōkai.

Orbit and classification

Tokai is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.1–2.4 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,213 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.

Physical characteristics

In the SMASS classification, Tokai is a common S-type asteroid.

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE) with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Tokai measures between 9.238 and 9.982 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.144 and 0.33. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with Petr Pravec's revised WISE-data, that is, an albedo of 0.1957 and a diameter of 10.09 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.37.

Satellite

Photometric observations in 2007, revealed a minor-planet moon in orbit of Tokai. It measures approximately 6 kilometers in diameter (lower limit diameter ratio of 0.72) and has an orbital period of 25.88 hours.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the city of Tōkai, Japan, where the discoverer lives and the discovering observatory is located. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 8 February 1982 (M.P.C. 6650).

Notes

1. Oey (2011) web: rotation period 25.88 hours with a brightness amplitude of mag. Summary figures for (2478) Tokai at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL)
2. ^ Pravec (2007) web: rotation period 25.8913 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.41 mag. Q=3. Summary figures for (2478) Tokai at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL)

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2478 Tokai (1981 JC)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 24 July 2020. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2478) Tokai". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2478) Tokai. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 202. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2479. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. ^ "LCDB Data for (2478) Tokai". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 18 June 2017.
4. ^ "Electronic Telegram No. 824". IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 30 January 2007. Retrieved 5 July 2011.
5. ^ Johnston, Robert (21 September 2014). "(2478) Tokai". johnstonsarchive.net. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
6. ^ 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. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
7. ^ Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
8. ^ 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. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
9. ^ 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.
10. ^ Pravec, Petr; Harris, Alan W.; Kusnirák, Peter; Galád, Adrián; Hornoch, Kamil (September 2012). "Absolute magnitudes of asteroids and a revision of asteroid albedo estimates from WISE thermal observations". Icarus. 221 (1): 365–387. Bibcode:2012Icar..221..365P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.026. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
11. Higgins, D.; Pravec, P.; Kusnirak, P.; Warner, B.; Galad, A.; Oey, J.; et al. (January 2007). "(2478) Tokai". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams. 824 (824): 1. Bibcode:2007CBET..824....1H. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
12. Oey, Julian (January 2016). "Lightcurve Analysis of Asteroids from Blue Mountains Observatory in 2014". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 43 (1): 45–51. Bibcode:2016MPBu...43...45O. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 19 June 2017.
13. 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 June 2017.
14. "2478 Tokai (1981 JC)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
15. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 June 2017.

External links

• Lightcurve plot of 2478 Tokai, Palmer Divide Observatory, B. D. Warner (2007)
• Asteroids with Satellites, Robert Johnston, johnstonsarchive.net
• 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
• 2478 Tokai at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 2478 Tokai at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Flora asteroids
• Discoveries by Toshimasa Furuta
• Named minor planets
• Binary asteroids
• S-type asteroids (SMASS)
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1981