3951 Zichichi

3951 Zichichi

Discovery [1]
Discovered by	San Vittore Obs.
Discovery site	San Vittore Obs.
Discovery date	13 February 1986
Designations
MPC designation	(3951) Zichichi
Named after	Antonino Zichichi (Italian nuclear physicist)[2]
Alternative designations	1986 CK1 · 1938 UG 1976 JG9 · 1979 DR 1981 UJ12 · 1986 AU2
Minor planet category	main-belt · Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	40.56 yr (14,816 days)
Aphelion	2.7469 AU
Perihelion	1.9320 AU
Semi-major axis	2.3394 AU
Eccentricity	0.1742
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.58 yr (1,307 days)
Mean anomaly	355.00°
Mean motion	0° 16^m 31.44^s / day
Inclination	5.4133°
Longitude of ascending node	270.04°
Argument of perihelion	151.72°
Known satellites	1[4][5]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	6.720±0.213[6]
Synodic rotation period	3.39423±0.00007 h[5]
Geometric albedo	0.325±0.050[6]
Spectral type	S [3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.8[1]

3951 Zichichi, provisional designation 1986 CK₁, is a stony Florian asteroid and binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 February 1986, by staff members at the San Vittore Observatory near Bologna, Italy, and named after physicist Antonino Zichichi.^[2][7]

Orbit and classification

Zichichi is a S-type asteroid and member of the Flora family, one of the largest collisional populations of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,307 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

Physical characteristics

A minor-planet moon was discovered orbiting at a distance of 16 km in 2006, but not announced until 2011.^[4][5]

Naming

This minor planet was named after Italian nuclear physicist Antonino Zichichi.^[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 1989 (M.P.C. 14634).^[8]

References

1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3951 Zichichi (1986 CK1)" (2016-11-24 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3951) Zichichi". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3951) Zichichi. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 336–337. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3939. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. "LCDB Data for (3951) Zichichi". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 15 June 2017.
4. Johnston, Robert (21 September 2014). "(3951) Zichichi". johnstonsarchive.net. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
5. Antonini, P.; Behrend, R.; Colas, F.; Lecacheux, J.; Goncalves, R.; Starkey, D.; et al. (April 2011). "(3951) Zichichi". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams. 2698 (2698): 1. Bibcode:2011CBET.2698....1A. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
6. Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
7. "3951 Zichichi (1986 CK1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 June 2017.
8. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 June 2017.

External links

• 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
• 3951 Zichichi at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 3951 Zichichi at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters