It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,233 days; semi-major axis of 2.25 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with its first observations as 1987 WU3 at Anderson Mesa Station in November 1987, more than 8 years prior to its official discovery observation at La Silla.[1]
In October 2007, a rotational lightcurve of Jeanperrin was obtained from photometric observations by a large international collaboration of astronomers. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.6169 hours and a low brightness variation of 0.09 magnitude, indicative of a nearly spheroidal shape (U=3).[6] Additional observations by Petr Pravec at Ondřejov Observatory in 2007 and 2017, rendered a nearly identical period of 3.6169 and 3.61692 hours with an amplitude of 0.09 and 0.10 magnitude, respectively (U=3/3).[a][b]
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts Petr Pravec's revised WISE data, that is, an albedo of 0.1841 and a (rounded) diameter of 4.80 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 14.05.[4]
Satellite
During the photometric observations in October 2007 (see above), it was also revealed, that Jeanperrin is a synchronous binary asteroid with a minor-planet moon in its orbit. The satellite measures approximately 1.49 kilometers in diameter (ds/dp-ratio of at least 0.33), and orbits its primary at an estimated average distance of 13 kilometers once every 36.15 hours (1.506 days).[5][6]
^ abcdePravec (Oct 2007) web: observations in the R-band. Rotation period of 3.61692±0.00007 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.09±0.01 mag. Quality code of 3. Summary figures for (8116) Jeanperrin at the LCDB and Pravec, P.; Wolf, M.; Sarounova, L. (2007) (Ondrejov data).
^ abcdefHiggins, D.; Pravec, P.; Kusnirak, P.; Hornoch, K.; Husarik, M.; Pikler, M.; et al. (November 2007). "(8116) Jeanperrin". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams. 1127 (1127): 1. Bibcode:2007CBET.1127....1H. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
^ abcdMasiero, 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.
^ abcdNugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117.
^ abcMasiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68.
^ abcdPravec, Petr; Harris, Alan W.; Kusnirák, Peter; Galád, Adrián; Hornoch, Kamil (September 2012). "Absolute magnitudes of asteroids and a revision of asteroid albedo estimates from WISE thermal observations". Icarus. 221 (1): 365–387. Bibcode:2012Icar..221..365P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.026.
^Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007.