15811 Nüsslein-Volhard
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | F. Börngen |
| Discovery site | Karl Schwarzschild Obs. |
| Discovery date | 10 July 1994 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 15811 Nüsslein-Volhard |
Named after |
Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (biologist, Nobelist)[2] |
|
1994 ND1 · 1955 SX1 1988 PY2 · 1989 SG7 | |
| main-belt · (outer) [1] | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 60.72 yr (22,177 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.7344 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6738 AU |
| 3.2041 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1655 |
| 5.74 yr (2,095 days) | |
| 326.05° | |
| 0° 10m 18.48s / day | |
| Inclination | 9.6131° |
| 225.54° | |
| 74.808° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
15.520±0.133[3] 16.17±1.4 km (IRAS:2)[1] |
|
0.0617±0.013 (IRAS:2)[1] 0.067±0.007[3] | |
| 12.8[1] | |
|
| |
15811 Nüsslein-Volhard, provisional designation 1994 ND1, is a dark asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 10 July 1994, by German astronomer Freimut Börngen at the Karl Schwarzschild Observatory in Tautenburg, Germany.[4]
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.7 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,095 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] It was first identified as 1955 SX1 at Goethe Link Observatory in 1955, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 39 years prior to its discovery.[4]
According to the observations made by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 15.2 and 16.2 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has a low albedo of 0.062 and 0.067, respectively.[1][3] which are typical values for carbonaceous asteroids. However, as of 2017, the asteroid's actual composition, rotation period and shape remain unknown.
The minor planet is named after Christiane Nüsslein-Volhard (b. 1942), a German biologist who, together with Eric Wieschaus and Edward Lewis, won the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 1995. Her research identified the genes controlling the embryonic development for the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster.[2] Naming citation was published on 26 May 2002 (M.P.C. 45748).[5]
References
- 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 15811 Nusslein-Volhard (1994 ND1)" (2016-06-09 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 3 December 2016.
- 1 2 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (15811) Nüsslein-Volhard. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 828. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- 1 2 3 Masiero, 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. Retrieved 3 December 2016. - 1 2 "15811 Nusslein-Volhard (1994 ND1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
- ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 May 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 (15001)-(20000) – Minor Planet Center
- 15811 Nüsslein-Volhard at the JPL Small-Body Database
