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From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
6708 Bobbievaile, provisional designation 1989 AA5, is a stony background asteroid and asynchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 4 January 1989, by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught at the Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia.[6] It is named after Bobbie Vaile.[2]
Discovery [1] | |
---|---|
Discovered by | R. H. McNaught |
Discovery site | Siding Spring Obs. |
Discovery date | 4 January 1989 |
Designations | |
(6708) Bobbievaile | |
Named after | Bobbie Vaile (astrophysicist)[2] |
1989 AA5 · 1979 PF 1989 CM9 · 1994 LB | |
main-belt · (inner)[3] background | |
Orbital characteristics [1] | |
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 37.81 yr (13,811 days) |
Aphelion | 2.8864 AU |
Perihelion | 2.0045 AU |
2.4455 AU | |
Eccentricity | 0.1803 |
3.82 yr (1,397 days) | |
349.25° | |
0° 15m 27.72s / day | |
Inclination | 12.076° |
115.81° | |
193.50° | |
Known satellites | 1 (period: 24.7 h)[4][3] |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 8.074±0.176 km[5] |
12.3415±0.0004 h[3] | |
0.169±0.016[5] | |
S [3] | |
13.1[1] | |
Bobbievaile is a stony, non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,397 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]
It was first observed as 1979 PF at El Leoncito in 1979, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation at Siding Spring.[6]
On 7 May 2009, it was announced that Bobbievaile was determined to be a binary asteroid based on a series of lightcurve observations. Bobbievaile (the primary) is estimated to have a diameter of 8.02±0.02 km, and its minor-planet moon (the secondary) to have a diameter of approximately 4.57 km.[4] The primary is probably spherical.
This minor planet was named in memory of Australian astrophysicist Roberta Anne "Bobbie" Vaile (1959–1996), lecturer at Western Sydney University. She was a SETI enthusiast and participated in both the establishment of the SETI Australia Centre and the conduction of Project Phoenix.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 22 April 1997 (M.P.C. 29671).[7]
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