1299 Mertona
Modelled shape of Mertona, from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered byG. Reiss
Discovery siteAlgiers Obs.
Discovery date18 January 1934
Designations
(1299) Mertona
Named after
Gerald Merton
(English astronomer)[2]
1934 BA
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc82.85 yr (30,260 days)
Aphelion3.3325 AU
Perihelion2.2706 AU
2.8016 AU
Eccentricity0.1895
4.69 yr (1,713 days)
328.61°
0° 12m 36.72s / day
Inclination7.8754°
165.61°
260.44°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
14.140±0.322 km[6]
14.90±1.23 km[7]
4.977±0.003 h[8]
(73.0°, 35.0°) (λ1/β1)[5]
0.219±0.038[7]
0.243±0.033[6]
unknown
11.277±0.002 (R)[9] · 11.4[10][7] · 11.5[3][11]

    1299 Mertona (prov. designation: 1934 BA) is a bright background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 18 January 1934, by French astronomer Guy Reiss at Algiers Observatory, Algeria, in northern Africa.[1] The likely stony asteroid with an unknown spectral type has a rotation period of 5.0 hours and measures approximately 14 kilometers (8.7 miles) in diameter. It was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton.[2]

    Orbit and classification

    Mertona is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[4][5] It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,713 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.19 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] As neither precoveries nor prior identifications were obtained, Mertona's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Algiers.[1]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after English astronomer Gerald Merton (1893–1983),[2] who was president of the British Astronomical Association between 1950 and 1952.[12] The naming was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 119).[2]

    Physical characteristics

    Rotation period

    Several rotational lightcurves of Mertona were obtained during 2003–2016. Photometric observations were taken by astronomers Andy Monson and Steven Kipp (4.977±0.003 hours; Δ0.55 mag; U=3) in November 2003,[8] by French amateur astronomer René Roy (4.981±0.002 hours; Δ0.46 mag; U=3) in March 2005,[13] by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory (4.9787±0.0013 hours, Δ0.48 mag, U=2) in August 2012,[9] and by Daniel Klinglesmith (4.978±0.002 hours, Δ0.59 mag, U=3) at Etscorn Observatory (719) in Socorro, New Mexico.[14] In addition, a 2016-published lightcurve, modelling data from the Lowell photometric database, gave a concurring period of 4.97691±0.00001 hours and a spin axis of (73.0°, 35.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (U=n.a.).[15]

    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, Mertona measures between 14.14 and 14.90 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.219 and 0.243.[6][7] Although such a high albedo is typical for stony asteroids, the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.057, which it uses as the generic albedo for all carbonaceous C-type asteroids. It therefore calculates a larger diameter of 27.90 kilometers (as the lower the albedo or reflectivity, the larger a body's diameter at an unchanged absolute magnitude or brightness).[11] Carbonaceous asteroids are the predominant type in the outer main-belt, while stony asteroids are mostly found in the inner regions of the asteroid belt.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 "1299 Mertona (1934 BA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
    2. 1 2 3 4 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1299) Mertona". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 107. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1300. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1299 Mertona (1934 BA)" (2016-11-23 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 7 July 2017.
    4. 1 2 "Asteroid 1299 Mertona – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
    5. 1 2 3 "Asteroid 1299 Mertona". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
    6. 1 2 3 Mainzer, A. K.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; Kramer, E. A.; Masiero, J. R.; et al. (June 2016). "NEOWISE Diameters and Albedos V1.0". NASA Planetary Data System. Bibcode:2016PDSS..247.....M. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
    7. 1 2 3 4 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)
    8. 1 2 Monson, Andy; Kipp, Steven (December 2004). "Corrigendum: Rotational periods of asteroids 1165 Imprinetta, 1299 Mertona 1645 Waterfield, 1833 Shmakova, 2313 Aruna, and (13856) 1999 XZ105" (PDF). Minor Planet Bulletin. 31 (4): 97. Bibcode:2004MPBu...31...97M. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
    9. 1 2 Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
    10. ↑ Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90.
    11. 1 2 "LCDB Data for (1299) Mertona". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 18 January 2017.
    12. ↑ British Astronomical Association List of Members, 1969 April 30, London: British Astronomical Association, 1969, p. 116
    13. ↑ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1299) Mertona". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 18 January 2017.
    14. ↑ Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; Hanowell, Jesse; Risley, Ethan; Turk, Janek; Vargas, Angelica; Warren, Curtis Alan (July 2014). "Lightcurves for Inversion Model Candidates" (PDF). Minor Planet Bulletin. 41 (3): 139–143. Bibcode:2014MPBu...41..139K. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 16 March 2020.
    15. ↑ Ďurech, J.; Hanuš, J.; Oszkiewicz, D.; Vančo, R. (March 2016). "Asteroid models from the Lowell photometric database". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 587: A48. arXiv:1601.02909. Bibcode:2016A&A...587A..48D. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527573. ISSN 0004-6361.
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