1366 Piccolo

1366 Piccolo, provisional designation 1932 WA, is an asteroid from the background population of the outer asteroid belt, approximately 28 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 29 November 1932, by astronomer Eugène Delporte at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle.^[13] The asteroid was named after Auguste Cauvin, chief-editor of the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.^[2]

1366 Piccolo

Modelled shape of Piccolo from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	E. Delporte
Discovery site	Uccle Obs.
Discovery date	29 November 1932
Designations
MPC designation	(1366) Piccolo
Named after	Auguste Cauvin[2] (Chief-editor Le Soir)
Alternative designations	1932 WA · 1930 FA1 1931 PC · 1931 RJ1 1935 GM · 1935 JM 1950 KL · 1961 TL1 1961 VP · A916 NB
Minor planet category	main-belt · (outer)[3] background[4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	84.51 yr (30,868 days)
Aphelion	3.2803 AU
Perihelion	2.4686 AU
Semi-major axis	2.8745 AU
Eccentricity	0.1412
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.87 yr (1,780 days)
Mean anomaly	245.21°
Mean motion	0° 12m 7.92s / day
Inclination	9.4758°
Longitude of ascending node	24.147°
Argument of perihelion	282.70°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	26.92±1.03 km[5] 27.50 km (derived)[3] 27.55±1.8 km[6] 28.02±2.68 km[7] 29.9 km[8]
Synodic rotation period	16.048±0.003 h[9] 16.05±0.05 h[9] 16.1834±0.0005 h[10] 16.57 h[11]
Geometric albedo	0.131[8] 0.1447 (derived)[3] 0.1538±0.022[6] 0.167±0.014[5] 0.199±0.251[7]
Spectral type	X[12] · S[3] B–V = 0.710[1] U–B = 0.180[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)	10.14[7] · 10.24±0.30[12] · 10.45[1][5][6][8] · 10.52[3][11]

Orbit and classification

Piccolo is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population.^[4] It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.5–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,780 days; semi-major axis of 2.87 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

The asteroid was first identified as A916 NB at Johannesburg Observatory in July 1916. The body's observation arc begins at Uccle with its official discovery observation.^[13]

Naming

This minor planet was named after the pseudonym of Auguste Cauvin, also known as "d'Arsac", long-time editor-in-chief of the Belgian newspaper Le Soir (c. 1898–1937). The pseudonym "piccolo" means "small" in Italian.^[2] The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 124).^[2] Asteroid 1350 Rosselia was also named after an editor of Le Soir by Delporte.

Physical characteristics

Piccolo has been characterized as an X-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS photometric survey,^[12] while the LCDB assumes a stony S-type.^[3]

Rotation period and poles

In June 1984, a first rotational lightcurve of Piccolo was obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Richard Binzel. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 16.57 hours with a brightness variation of 0.33 magnitude (U=2).^[11] In 2003 and 2005, two more lightcurves were obtained by French amateur astronomer René Roy. They gave a period of 16.048 and 16.05 hours and an amplitude of 0.24 and 0.29 magnitude, respectively (U=2/2).^[9]

In 2016, the asteroid lightcurve has also been modeled using photometric data from various sources. It gave a concurring period of 16.1834 hours and two spin axis in ecliptic coordinates of (352.0°, 49.0°) and (201.0°, 55.0°).^[10]

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Piccolo measures between 26.92 and 28.02 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1538 and 0.199.^[5][6][7] In April 2003, an albedo of 0.131 and a diameter of 29.9 kilometers have also been deduced from a stellar occultation.^[8]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1447 and a diameter of 27.50 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 10.52.^[3]

References

1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1366 Piccolo (1932 WA)" (2017-06-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1366) Piccolo". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 111. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1367. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. "LCDB Data for (1366) Piccolo". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 14 November 2017.
4. "Asteroid 1366 Piccolo – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
5. Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
6. Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
7. 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 November 2017.
8. Shevchenko, Vasilij G.; Tedesco, Edward F. (September 2006). "Asteroid albedos deduced from stellar occultations". Icarus. 184 (1): 211–220. Bibcode:2006Icar..184..211S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.04.006. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
9. Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1366) Piccolo". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
10. Hanus, J.; Durech, J.; Oszkiewicz, D. A.; Behrend, R.; Carry, B.; Delbo, M.; et al. (February 2016). "New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 586: 24. arXiv:1510.07422. Bibcode:2016A&A...586A.108H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527441.
11. Binzel, R. P. (October 1987). "A photoelectric survey of 130 asteroids". Icarus. 72 (1): 135–208. Bibcode:1987Icar...72..135B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(87)90125-4. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
12. 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. Retrieved 14 November 2017.
13. "1366 Piccolo (1932 WA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 14 November 2017.

External links

• 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
• 1366 Piccolo at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 1366 Piccolo at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters