7225 Huntress

7225 Huntress, provisional designation 1983 BH, is a binary[lower-alpha 1] Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 January 1983, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States.[11] It is named after astrochemist Wesley Huntress.[2]

7225 Huntress
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. Bowell
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date22 January 1983
Designations
(7225) Huntress
Named after
Wesley Huntress
(astrochemist)[2]
1983 BH · 1989 XJ
main-belt · Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc55.84 yr (20,394 days)
Aphelion2.8166 AU
Perihelion1.8654 AU
2.3410 AU
Eccentricity0.2032
3.58 yr (1,308 days)
242.35°
0° 16m 30.72s / day
Inclination6.8695°
275.73°
203.51°
Known satellites1 (synchronous, ⌀: 21%)[lower-alpha 1][4]
Physical characteristics
Dimensions5.94±1.26 km[5]
6.58±0.33 km[6]
6.680±0.224 km[7][8]
6.748 km[9]
6.75 km (taken)[3]
2.43995±0.00003 h[lower-alpha 2]
2.4400±0.0001 h[4]
2.44±0.01 h[lower-alpha 3]
0.1558[9]
0.165±0.016[7][8]
0.257±0.034[6]
0.27±0.13[5]
SMASS = S [1] · S [3]
13.00[6] · 13.00±0.03 (R)[lower-alpha 2] · 13.1[1] · 13.33±0.40[10] · 13.45[7] · 13.47[5] · 13.49±0.058[3][9]

    Classification and orbit

    Huntress is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of stony asteroids.[1][3] It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,308 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The first precovery was taken at Palomar in 1960, extending the body's observation arc by 23 years prior to its official discovery observation at Flagstaff.[11]

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Huntress measures between 5.94 and 6.680 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.165 and 0.27.[5][6][7][8] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts Pravec's revised WISE-data and takes an albedo of 0.1558, a diameter of 6.75 kilometers and an absolute magnitude of 13.49.[3][9]

    Moon and lightcurve

    In December 2007, two rotational lightcurves of Huntress were independently obtained by astronomers Petr Pravec and Donald Pray. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 2.43995 and 2.4400 hours, respectively. The body's low brightness amplitude of 0.11 magnitude suggest a nearly spheroidal shape (U=3/n.a.).[lower-alpha 2][4] During the photometric observations, it was revealed, that Huntress is a synchronous binary asteroid with an asteroid moon orbiting it every 14.67 hours. The moon's diameter was estimated to be 21% of that of Huntress (or 1.3 kilometers assuming a primary diameter of 6 km).[lower-alpha 1][4]

    In March 2012, Australian astronomer David Higgins obtained a concurring lightcurve with period of 2.44 hours and an amplitude of 0.11 magnitude (U=2).[lower-alpha 3] For an asteroid of its size, Huntress has a relatively short spin rate, not much above the 2.2-hour threshold for fast rotators.

    Naming

    This minor planet was named in honor of American astrochemist and space scientist Wesley Huntress (born 1942), who has been NASA's director of space science programs in the 1990s, and has pioneered research relevant to the chemical evolution of interstellar clouds, comets and planetary atmospheres.[2] Naming citation was proposed by the discoverer and published on 8 August 1998 (M.P.C. 32348).[12]

    Notes
    1. Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams – CBET 1233
      Photometric observations during 7 December 2007 to 17 January 2008 revealed that 7225 Huntress is a binary system with an orbital period of 14.67±0.01 hours. The primary has a period of 2.4400±0.0001 hours with an lightcurve amplitude of 0.11 magnitude, which suggest a nearly spheroidal shape. Mutual eclipse/occultation events indicate a secondary-to-primary mean-diameter ratio of 0.21±0.02[lower-alpha 4]
    2. Pravec (2007) web: rotation period 2.43995±0.00003 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.11 mag (see unpublished data file). Summary figures for (7225) Huntress at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) and Pravec, P.; Wolf, M.; Sarounova, L. (2007)
    3. Higgins (2012) web: rotation period 2.44±0.01 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.11 mag. Summary figures for (7225) Huntress at 2=Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL)

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 7225 Huntress (1983 BH)" (2016-08-27 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 4 July 2017.
    2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(7225) Huntress". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (7225) Huntress. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 584. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_6366. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
    3. "LCDB Data for (7225) Huntress". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    4. Pray, D.; Pravec, P.; Kusnirak, P.; Hornoch, K.; Husarik, M.; Pikler, M.; et al. (January 2008). "(7225) Huntress". Central Bureau Electronic Telegrams. 1233 (1233): 1. Bibcode:2008CBET.1233....1P. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    5. Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Kramer, E. A.; Grav, T.; et al. (September 2016). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year Two: Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astronomical Journal. 152 (3): 12. arXiv:1606.08923. Bibcode:2016AJ....152...63N. doi:10.3847/0004-6256/152/3/63. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    6. Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    7. 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.
    8. Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    9. Pravec, Petr; Harris, Alan W.; Kusnirák, Peter; Galád, Adrián; Hornoch, Kamil (September 2012). "Absolute magnitudes of asteroids and a revision of asteroid albedo estimates from WISE thermal observations". Icarus. 221 (1): 365–387. Bibcode:2012Icar..221..365P. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2012.07.026. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    10. 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 10 March 2017.
    11. "7225 Huntress (1983 BH)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 March 2017.
    12. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 10 March 2017.

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