762 Pulcova is a main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by Grigoriy N. Neujmin in 1913, and is named after Pulkovo Observatory, near Saint Petersburg. Pulcova is 137 km in diameter, and is a C-type asteroid, which means that it is dark in colouring with a carbonate composition.
Photometric observations of this asteroid from Leura, Australia during 2006 gave a light curve with a period of 5.8403 ± 0.0005 hours and a brightness variation of 0.20 ± 0.02 in magnitude. This result is in agreement with previous studies.
Satellite
On February 22, 2000, astronomers at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, discovered a 15-km moon (roughly a tenth the size of the primary) orbiting Pulcova at a distance of 800 km. Its orbital period is 4 days. The satellite is about 4 magnitudes fainter than the primary. It was one of the first asteroid moons to be identified.
Density
In the year 2000, Merline estimated Pulcova to have a density of 1.8 g/cm, which would make it more dense than the trinary asteroid 45 Eugenia, and binary 90 Antiope. But estimates by Marchis in 2008 suggest a density of only 0.90 g/cm, suggesting it may be a loosely packed rubble pile, not a monolithic object.
References
- ^ "762 Pulcova". SwRI. 22 February 2000. Retrieved 20 October 2009. (AO image)
- ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 762 Pulcova (1913 SQ)" (2009-09-22 last obs). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
- Catalogue of the Mathematical, Historical, Bibliographical and Miscellaneous Portion of the Celebrated Library of M. Guglielmo Libri, 1861, p. 216
- ^ Jim Baer (2008). "Recent Asteroid Mass Determinations". Personal Website. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
- Magnitudes generated with JPL Horizons for the year 1950 through 2100
- Oey, Julian (December 2006), "Lightcurves analysis of 10 asteroids from Leura Observatory", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 33 (4): 96–99, Bibcode:2006MPBu...33...96O.
- Dr. William J. Merline & Maria Martinez (26 October 2000). "Astronomers Image Double Asteroid". SwRI Press Release. Retrieved 20 October 2009. (mentions both 90 Antiope and 762 Pulcova)
- ^ W.J. Merline (SwRI); L.M. Close (ESO, U. Arizona); C. Dumas (JPL); J.C. Shelton (Mt. Wilson Obs.); F. Menard (CFHT); C.R. Chapman; et al. (21 June 2000). "Discovery of Companions to Asteroids 762 Pulcova and 90 Antiope by Direct Imaging" (PDF). SwRI. Retrieved 21 October 2009.
- Johnston, Robert (1 September 2005). "(762) Pulcova". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 1 November 2013.
External links
- Asteroids with Satellites, Robert Johnston, johnstonsarchive.net
- 762 Pulcova at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 762 Pulcova at the JPL Small-Body Database
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