762_Pulcova

762 Pulcova

762 Pulcova is a main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by Grigoriy N. Neujmin in 1913,[2] and is named after Pulkovo Observatory, near Saint Petersburg. Pulcova is 137 km in diameter,[2] and is a C-type asteroid, which means that it is dark in colouring with a carbonate composition.

Quick Facts Discovery, Discovered by ...

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.[6]

Satellite

Pulcova and its satellite imaged by the Hubble Space Telescope in January 2005
Diagram of 762 Pulcova's orbit

On February 22, 2000,[1] astronomers at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii, discovered a 15-km moon (roughly a tenth the size of the primary)[7] orbiting Pulcova at a distance of 800 km.[8] Its orbital period is 4 days.[9] The satellite is about 4 magnitudes fainter than the primary.[8] 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/cm3, which would make it more dense than the trinary asteroid 45 Eugenia, and binary 90 Antiope.[8] But estimates by Marchis in 2008 suggest a density of only 0.90 g/cm3,[4] suggesting it may be a loosely packed rubble pile, not a monolithic object.


References

  1. "762 Pulcova". SwRI. 22 February 2000. Retrieved 20 October 2009. (AO image)
  2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 762 Pulcova (1913 SQ)" (2009-09-22 last obs). Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  3. Catalogue of the Mathematical, Historical, Bibliographical and Miscellaneous Portion of the Celebrated Library of M. Guglielmo Libri, 1861, p. 216
  4. Jim Baer (2008). "Recent Asteroid Mass Determinations". Personal Website. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 28 November 2008.
  5. Magnitudes generated with JPL Horizons for the year 1950 through 2100
  6. Oey, Julian (December 2006), "Lightcurves analysis of 10 asteroids from Leura Observatory", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 33 (4): 96–99, Bibcode:2006MPBu...33...96O.
  7. 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)
  8. 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.
  9. Johnston, Robert (1 September 2005). "(762) Pulcova". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 1 November 2013.

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