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4897 Tomhamilton, provisional designation 1987 QD6, is a stony asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 14 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 August 1987, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory, California. It was later named after American writer Thomas William Hamilton, an author of astronomy books and participant in the Apollo program.[2]
| Discovery [1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. F. Helin |
| Discovery site | Palomar Obs. |
| Discovery date | 22 August 1987 |
| Designations | |
| (4897) Tomhamilton | |
Named after | Thomas William Hamilton (American writer)[2] |
| 1987 QD6 · 1971 QV1 1971 SB1 · 1990 BN1 | |
| main-belt · (outer) | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 66.81 yr (24,402 days) |
| Aphelion | 3.4356 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6792 AU |
| 3.0574 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1237 |
| 5.35 yr (1,953 days) | |
| 262.29° | |
| 0° 11m 3.84s / day | |
| Inclination | 11.067° |
| 188.47° | |
| 107.13° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 13.711±0.369 km[3] |
| 0.215±0.065[3] | |
| 12.0[1] | |
Tomhamilton orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 4 months (1,953 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.12 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
In August 1950, a first precovery was taken at Palomar, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 37 years prior to its official discovery observation.[2] It had also been previously identified as 1971 QV1 and 1971 SB1 at Crimea–Nauchnij.
On 11 January 2011, it was at opposition (coinciding with Hamilton's 72nd birthday) at a distance of 2.476 AU. Given the moderately elliptical orbit, this asteroid can reach an apparent magnitude from Earth of between 15.3 and 19.5 [4].
This minor planet was named after Thomas William Hamilton, an American (born San Francisco, January 11, 1939)[citation needed] who had worked on the Apollo program, determining fuel requirements and radar accuracy requirements for lunar orbit rendezvous. He later worked as an astronomy educator and planetarium director, and as an author on astronomical topics, as well as of time travel and science fiction novels. Hamilton and Helin were acquainted, as he had interviewed her at an astronomical conference for a cable television show he was producing at the time. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 4 October 2009 (M.P.C. 67215).[5]
Diameter and albedo
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Tomhamilton measures 13.7 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.215, which indicates that it of a stony rather than of a carbonaceous composition.[3]
Lightcurve
As of 2017, no rotational lightcurve of Tomhamilton has been obtained from photometric observations. It rotation period, poles and shape remain unknown.[1][6]
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