6708 Bobbievaile, provisional designation 1989 AA5, is a stony background asteroid and asynchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 4 January 1989, by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia.[6] It is named after Bobbie Vaile.[2]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | R. H. McNaught |
| Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 January 1989 |
| Designations | |
| (6708) Bobbievaile | |
Named after | Bobbie Vaile (astrophysicist)[2] |
| 1989 AA5 · 1979 PF 1989 CM9 · 1994 LB | |
| main-belt · (inner)[3] background | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 37.81 yr (13,811 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.8864 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.0045 AU |
| 2.4455 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1803 |
| 3.82 yr (1,397 days) | |
| 349.25° | |
| 0° 15m 27.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 12.076° |
| 115.81° | |
| 193.50° | |
| Known satellites | 1 (period: 24.7 h)[4][3] |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 8.074±0.176 km[5] |
| 12.3415±0.0004 h[3] | |
| 0.169±0.016[5] | |
| S [3] | |
| 13.1[1] | |
Orbit and classification
editBobbievaile is a stony, non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,397 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
It was first observed as 1979 PF at El Leoncito in 1979, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation at Siding Spring.[6]
Binary asteroid
editOn 7 May 2009, it was announced that Bobbievaile was determined to be a binary asteroid based on a series of lightcurve observations. Bobbievaile (the primary) is estimated to have a diameter of 8.02±0.02 km, and its minor-planet moon (the secondary) to have a diameter of approximately 4.57 km.[4] The primary is probably spherical.
Naming
editThis minor planet was named in memory of Australian astrophysicist Roberta Anne "Bobbie" Vaile (1959–1996), lecturer at Western Sydney University. She was a SETI enthusiast and participated in both the establishment of the SETI Australia Centre and the conduction of Project Phoenix.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 April 1997 (M.P.C. 29671).[7]
References
edit- ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 6708 Bobbievaile (1989 AA5)" (2017-06-06 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 13 March 2017. Retrieved 21 June 2017.
- ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(6708) Bobbievaile". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (6708) Bobbievaile. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 551. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_6048. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
- ^ a b c d "LCDB Data for (6708) Bobbievaile". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ a b Johnston, Robert. "(6708) Bobbievaile". johnstonsarchive.net. Retrieved 29 May 2015.
- ^ a b 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 13 March 2017.
- ^ a b "6708 Bobbievaile (1989 AA5)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
- ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 March 2017.
External links
edit- Simostronomy—The Remarkable Bobbie Vaile
- (6708) Bobbievaile, datasheet, johnstonsarchive.net
- 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
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (5001)-(10000) – Minor Planet Center
- 6708 Bobbievaile at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 6708 Bobbievaile at the JPL Small-Body Database
