4659 Roddenberry
Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | S. J. Bus |
Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
Discovery date | 2 March 1981 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | 4659 Roddenberry |
Named after |
Gene Roddenberry (screenwriter)[2] |
1981 EP20 · 1979 SY7 1979 TO1 | |
main-belt · (inner) [3] | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 27 June 2015 (JD 2457200.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 37.35 yr (13,641 days) |
Aphelion | 2.9023 AU |
Perihelion | 1.8373 AU |
2.3698 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.2246 |
3.65 yr (1,333 days) | |
278.18° | |
Inclination | 2.4689° |
19.627° | |
5.0318° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions |
±0.601 km 3.622[4] 3.56 km (derived)[3] |
12 h[5] | |
±0.0649 0.1929[4] 0.20 (assumed)[3] | |
S [3] | |
14.3[1] | |
|
4659 Roddenberry, provisional designation 1981 EP20, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 3.6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 2 March 1981, by American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia.[6]
The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,333 days). Its orbit is tilted by 2 degrees to the plane of the ecliptic and shows an eccentricity of 0.22. It has a rotation period of 12 hours[5] and an albedo of 0.19, according to the NEOWISE mission of the U.S. Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer.[4]
The minor planet was named in memory of famous American screenwriter, producer and futurist, Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991), known for the Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, and for the Star Trek film franchise.[2]
References
- 1 2 3 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4659 Roddenberry (1981 EP20)" (2014-06-18 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (4659) Roddenberry. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 401. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 4 "LCDB Data for (4659) Roddenberry". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- 1 2 3 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. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- 1 2 Binzel, Richard P.; Xu, Shui; Bus, Schelte J.; Bowell, Edward (September 1992). "Small Main-Belt Asteroid Lightcurve Survey". Icarus: 225–237. Bibcode:1992Icar...99..225B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(92)90184-9. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
- ↑ "4659 Roddenberry (1981 EP20)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 January 2016.
External links
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info)
- 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
- 4659 Roddenberry at the JPL Small-Body Database
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