3367 Alex
{{Short description|Asteroid}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2018}}
{{Infobox planet
| minorplanet = yes
| name = 3367 Alex
| background = #D6D6D6
| image =
| image_size =
| caption =
| discovered = 15 February 1983
| discoverer = N. G. Thomas
| discovery_site = Anderson Mesa Stn.
| mpc_name = (3367) Alex
| alt_names = {{mp|1983 CA|3}}{{·}}1953 XM
{{mp|1971 SH|2}}{{·}}{{mp|1981 UQ|9}}
{{mp|1981 UW|15}}
| named_after = Alex R. Baltutis
{{small|(discoverer's grandson)}}
| mp_category = main-belt{{·}}{{small|(middle)}}
background
| epoch = 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
| uncertainty = 0
| observation_arc = 63.42 yr (23,165 days)
| aphelion = 2.9767 AU
| perihelion = 2.5915 AU
| semimajor = 2.7841 AU
| eccentricity = 0.0692
| period = 4.65 yr (1,697 days)
| mean_anomaly = 180.67°
| mean_motion = {{Deg2DMS|0.2122|sup=ms}} / day
| inclination = 5.3195°
| asc_node = 258.18°
| arg_peri = 237.17°
| dimensions = {{val|9.607|0.124|ul=km}}
{{val|15.19|0.23}} km
{{val|16.96|1.11}} km
19.30 km {{small|(calculated)}}
| rotation = {{val|9.6|ul=h}}
{{val|9.6|0.5}} h
| albedo = 0.057 {{small|(assumed)}}
{{val|0.099|0.013}}
{{val|0.101|0.014}}
{{val|0.3033|0.0538}}
| spectral_type = SMASS {{=}} X
E{{·}}X
| abs_magnitude = 12.3{{·}}12.00{{·}}12.20{{·}}{{val|12.77|0.25}}
}}
3367 Alex, provisional designation {{mp|1983 CA|3}}, is a background asteroid from the intermediate region of the asteroid belt, approximately {{convert|17|km|mi|abbr=off|sp=us}} in diameter. It was discovered on 2 September 1993, by American astronomer Norman Thomas at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station, near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States. The X-type asteroid has a rotation period of 9.6 hours. It was named after the grandson of the discoverer, Alex Baltutis.
Orbit and classification
Alex is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.6–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,697 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. The asteroid was first identified as {{mp|1953 XM}} at Heidelberg Observatory in 1953, extending the body's observation arc by 30 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.
Naming
This minor planet was named by the discoverer after his grandson, Alex R. Baltutis. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 26 March 1986 ({{small|M.P.C. 10550}}).
Physical characteristics
In the SMASS classification, Alex is an X-type asteroid, while NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer characterizes it as a bright E-type asteroid. Due to its intermediate albedo, the body may be of metallic composition.
= Rotation period =
In February 2006 and April 2011, two rotational lightcurves of Alex were obtained from photometric observations made by French astronomers René Roy and Laurent Bernasconi, respectively. The fragmentary lightcurves gave an identical rotation period of {{val|9.6}} and {{val|9.6|0.5}} hours with a respective brightness variation of 0.01 and 0.05 in magnitude ({{small|U=1/1}}). Such a low amplitude typically indicates that the body has a nearly spheroidal shape.
= Diameter and albedo =
According to the space-based surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and by WISE with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Alex has an albedo of 0.10, and measures 17.0 and 15.2 kilometers in diameter, respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 19.3 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.3.
References
{{reflist|30em|refs=
|type = 2017-05-05 last obs.
|title = JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3367 Alex (1983 CA3)
|url = https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=2003367
|publisher = Jet Propulsion Laboratory
|access-date = 17 June 2017}}
|title = Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3367) Alex
|last = Schmadel | first = Lutz D.
|publisher = Springer Berlin Heidelberg
|page = 280
|date = 2007
|isbn = 978-3-540-00238-3
|doi = 10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3367 |chapter = (3367) Alex }}
|title = Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (3367) Alex
|last = Behrend |first=Raoul
|publisher = Geneva Observatory
|url = http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page4cou.html#003367
|access-date = 9 May 2016}}
|title = 3367 Alex (1983 CA3)
|work = Minor Planet Center
|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/db_search/show_object?object_id=3367
|access-date = 9 May 2016}}
|title = MPC/MPO/MPS Archive
|work = Minor Planet Center
|url = https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/ECS/MPCArchive/MPCArchive_TBL.html
|access-date = 9 May 2016}}
|title = LCDB Data for (3367) Alex
|publisher = Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)
|url = http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/generateOneAsteroidInfo.php?AstInfo=3367%7CAlex
|access-date = 9 May 2016}}
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = Fumihiko |last1 = Usui
|first2 = Daisuke |last2 = Kuroda
|first3 = Thomas G. |last3 = Müller
|first4 = Sunao |last4 = Hasegawa
|first5 = Masateru |last5 = Ishiguro
|first6 = Takafumi |last6 = Ootsubo
|first7 = Daisuke |last7 = Ishihara
|first8 = Hirokazu |last8 = Kataza
|first9 = Satoshi |last9 = Takita
|first10 = Shinki |last10 = Oyabu
|first11 = Munetaka |last11 = Ueno
|first12 = Hideo |last12 = Matsuhara
|first13 = Takashi |last13 = Onaka
|date = October 2011
|title = Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey
|journal = Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan
|volume = 63
|issue = 5
|pages = 1117–1138
|bibcode = 2011PASJ...63.1117U
|doi = 10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117
|doi-access= free
}} ([http://vizier.cfa.harvard.edu/viz-bin/VizieR-5?-source=J/PASJ/63/1117/acua_v1&Num=3367 online], [https://core.ac.uk/download/pdf/43545172.pdf AcuA catalog p. 153])
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = A. |last1 = Mainzer
|first2 = T. |last2 = Grav
|first3 = J. |last3 = Masiero
|first4 = E. |last4 = Hand
|first5 = J. |last5 = Bauer
|first6 = D. |last6 = Tholen
|first7 = R. S. |last7 = McMillan
|first8 = T. |last8 = Spahr
|first9 = R. M. |last9 = Cutri
|first10 = E. |last10 = Wright
|first11 = J. |last11 = Watkins
|first12 = W. |last12 = Mo
|first13 = C. |last13 = Maleszewski
|date = November 2011
|title = NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results
|url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011ApJ...741...90M
|journal = The Astrophysical Journal
|volume = 741
|issue = 2
|page = 25
|bibcode = 2011ApJ...741...90M
|doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90
|arxiv = 1109.6407
|access-date= 9 May 2016}}
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = Joseph R. |last1 = Masiero
|first2 = A. K. |last2 = Mainzer
|first3 = T. |last3 = Grav
|first4 = J. M. |last4 = Bauer
|first5 = R. M. |last5 = Cutri
|first6 = C. |last6 = Nugent
|first7 = M. S. |last7 = Cabrera
|date = November 2012
|title = Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids
|url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2012ApJ...759L...8M
|journal = The Astrophysical Journal Letters
|volume = 759
|issue = 1
|page = 5
|bibcode = 2012ApJ...759L...8M
|doi = 10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8
|arxiv = 1209.5794
|access-date= 9 May 2016}}
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = Peter |last1 = Veres
|first2 = Robert |last2 = Jedicke
|first3 = Alan |last3 = Fitzsimmons
|first4 = Larry |last4 = Denneau
|first5 = Mikael |last5 = Granvik
|first6 = Bryce |last6 = Bolin
|first7 = Serge |last7 = Chastel
|first8 = Richard J. |last8 = Wainscoat
|first9 = William S. |last9 = Burgett
|first10 = Kenneth C. |last10 = Chambers
|first11 = Heather |last11 = Flewelling
|first12 = Nick |last12 = Kaiser
|first13 = Eugen A. |last13 = Magnier
|first14 = Jeff S. |last14 = Morgan
|first15 = Paul A. |last15 = Price
|first16 = John L. |last16 = Tonry
|first17 = Christopher |last17 = Waters
|date = November 2015
|title = Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 - Preliminary results
|url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2015Icar..261...34V
|journal = Icarus
|volume = 261
|pages = 34–47
|bibcode = 2015Icar..261...34V
|doi = 10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007
|arxiv = 1506.00762
|access-date= 9 May 2016}}
|display-authors = 6
|first1 = Joseph R. |last1 = Masiero
|first2 = A. K. |last2 = Mainzer
|first3 = T. |last3 = Grav
|first4 = J. M. |last4 = Bauer
|first5 = R. M. |last5 = Cutri
|first6 = J. |last6 = Dailey
|first7 = P. R. M. |last7 = Eisenhardt
|first8 = R. S. |last8 = McMillan
|first9 = T. B. |last9 = Spahr
|first10 = M. F. |last10 = Skrutskie
|first11 = D. |last11 = Tholen
|first12 = R. G. |last12 = Walker
|first13 = E. L. |last13 = Wright
|first14 = E. |last14 = DeBaun
|first15 = D. |last15 = Elsbury
|first16 = T. IV |last16 = Gautier
|first17 = S. |last17 = Gomillion
|first18 = A. |last18 = Wilkins
|date = November 2011
|title = Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters
|url = http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/bib_query?bibcode=2011ApJ...741...68M
|journal = The Astrophysical Journal
|volume = 741
|issue = 2
|page = 20
|bibcode = 2011ApJ...741...68M
|doi = 10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68
|arxiv = 1109.4096
|access-date= 4 December 2016}}
}}
External links
- [http://www.minorplanet.info/PHP/lcdbsummaryquery.php Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB)], query form ([http://www.minorplanet.info/lightcurvedatabase.html info] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171216050541/http://www.minorplanet.info/lightcurvedatabase.html |date=16 December 2017 }})
- [https://books.google.com/books?id=aeAg1X7afOoC&pg Dictionary of Minor Planet Names], Google books
- [http://obswww.unige.ch/~behrend/page_cou.html Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR] – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- [https://www.minorplanetcenter.net/iau/lists/NumberedMPs000001.html Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)] – Minor Planet Center
- {{AstDys|3367}}
- {{JPL small body}}
{{Minor planets navigator |3366 Gödel |number=3367 |3368 Duncombe}}
{{Small Solar System bodies}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Alex}}