2246 Bowell

2246 Bowell, provisional designation 1979 XH, is a rare-type Hildian asteroid from the outermost region of the asteroid belt, approximately 44 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 14 December 1979, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell Observatory's Anderson Mesa Station, and named after the discoverer himself.[2][4]

2246 Bowell
Discovery[1]
Discovered byE. Bowell
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date14 December 1979
Designations
(2246) Bowell
Named after
Edward Bowell
(American astronomer)[2]
1979 XH · 1942 GP
1973 FH2 · 1973 FR
1976 SL6 · 1977 SM3
main-belt · Hilda[3][4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.06 yr (22,666 days)
Aphelion4.3289 AU
Perihelion3.5863 AU
3.9576 AU
Eccentricity0.0938
7.87 yr (2,876 days)
244.37°
0° 7m 30.72s / day
Inclination6.4941°
155.66°
21.544°
Jupiter MOID0.6437 AU
Physical characteristics
Dimensions40.73±1.70 km[5]
44.21±3.2 km (IRAS:6)[6]
48.424±0.429[7]
4.992 h[8]
0.045±0.012[7]
0.0540±0.009 (IRAS:6)[6]
0.066±0.006[5]
D (Tholen and SMASS)[1]
D[3]
B–V = 0.746[1]
U–B = 0.239[1]
10.56[1][3][5][6] · 10.65±0.20[9]

    Orbit and classification

    Bowell is a member of the Hilda family, the outermost orbital group of asteroids in the main-belt, that are in a 3:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter.[4]

    It orbits the Sun at a distance of 3.6–4.3 AU once every 7 years and 10 months (2,876 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first used precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory in 1955, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 24 years prior to its discovery.[4]

    Physical characteristics

    Bowell has a reddish D-type spectrum on both the SMASS and Tholen taxonomic scheme, and is one of only 46 known bodies with such a spectral type.[10]

    Rotation period

    A rotational lightcurve of Bowell was obtained during a photometric survey of Hildian asteroids at the Uppsala Astronomical Observatory and others places in the late 1990s. The lightcurve gave a well-defined rotation period of 4.992 hours with a brightness variation of 0.46 in magnitude (U=3).[8]

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite, the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS (six observations), and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Bowell measures 40.7, 44.2 and 48.4 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.066, 0.054 and 0.045, respectively.[5][6][7] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link agrees with the results obtained by IRAS.[3]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named in honor of its discoverer, the American astronomer Edward L. G. Bowell (born 1943), based on a proposal by MPC's longtime director Brian G. Marsden. Astronomer at the Lowell Observatory and a prolific discoverer of minor planets himself, Bowell has made significant contributions on the observatory's UBV photometry and astrometry programs for minor planets, including the prediction of occultation events.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 January 1981 (M.P.C. 5688).[11]

    References

    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2246 Bowell (1979 XH)" (2017-02-04 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
    2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2246) Bowell". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2246) Bowell. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 183. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2247. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. "LCDB Data for (2246) Bowell". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 9 August 2016.
    4. "2246 Bowell (1979 XH)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
    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. Retrieved 17 October 2019. (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. Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J.; Masiero, J.; Spahr, T.; McMillan, R. S.; et al. (January 2012). "WISE/NEOWISE Observations of the Hilda Population: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 744 (2): 15. arXiv:1110.0283. Bibcode:2012ApJ...744..197G. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/744/2/197. Retrieved 7 December 2016.
    8. Dahlgren, M.; Lahulla, J. F.; Lagerkvist, C.-I.; Lagerros, J.; Mottola, S.; Erikson, A.; et al. (June 1998). "A Study of Hilda Asteroids. V. Lightcurves of 47 Hilda Asteroids". Icarus. 133 (2): 247–285. Bibcode:1998Icar..133..247D. doi:10.1006/icar.1998.5919. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
    9. 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 9 August 2016.
    10. "JPL Small-Body Database Search Engine: [ spec. type = D (Tholen) or spec. type = D (SMASSII) ]". JPL Solar System Dynamics. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
    11. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 August 2016.
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