1607 Mavis

1607 Mavis, provisional designation 1950 RA, is a stony asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 3 September 1950, by South African astronomer Ernest Johnson at Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa.^[11] It was later named after the wife of astronomer Jacobus Bruwer.^[2]

1607 Mavis

Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Mavis
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	E. Johnson
Discovery site	Johannesburg Obs.
Discovery date	3 September 1950
Designations
MPC designation	(1607) Mavis
Named after	Mavis Bruwer (wife of astronomer) Jacobus Bruwer[2]
Alternative designations	1950 RA · 1934 VQ 1958 OB · 1958 PD A903 BH
Minor planet category	main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	114.29 yr (41,743 days)
Aphelion	3.3268 AU
Perihelion	1.7728 AU
Semi-major axis	2.5498 AU
Eccentricity	0.3047
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.07 yr (1,487 days)
Mean anomaly	158.86°
Mean motion	0° 14m 31.56s / day
Inclination	8.5789°
Longitude of ascending node	122.53°
Argument of perihelion	235.96°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	11.57±1.76 km[4] 12.10 km (derived)[3] 12.756±0.210 km[5][6] 14.91±0.25 km[7]
Synodic rotation period	6.1339±0.0004 h[8] 6.1508±0.0005 h[9]
Geometric albedo	0.189±0.007[7] 0.193±0.021[6] 0.2487±0.0428[5] 0.31±0.11[4] 0.3320 (derived)[3]
Spectral type	S[3][10]
Absolute magnitude (H)	11.29±0.27[10] · 11.4[1][3] · 11.54[4] · 11.6[7][5]

Orbit and classification

This asteroid orbits the Sun in the middle main-belt at a distance of 1.8–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,487 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.30 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins with its official discovery observations, as the two previous identifications, A903 BH and 1934 VQ, made at Heidelberg and Simeiz in 1903 and 1934, respectively, remained unused.^[11]

Physical characteristics

Mavis is a stony S-type asteroid.^[3][10]

Rotation period

In September 2007, Australian astronomers Collin Bembrick and Julian Oey independently obtained two rotational lightcurves of Mavis. These well-defined lightcurves gave a rotation period of 6.1339 and 6.1508 hours with a brightness variation of 0.50 and 0.53 magnitude, respectively (U=3/3).^[8][9]

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Mavis measures between 11.57 and 14.91 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.189 and 0.31.^[4][5][6][7] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.3320 and a diameter of 12.10 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.4.^[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of the Mavis Bruwer, wife of astronomer Jacobus Albertus Bruwer, who was an astronomer at Johannesburg Observatory, and after whom 1811 Bruwer was named.^[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 February 1976 (M.P.C. 3931).^[12]