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3841 Dicicco, provisional designation 1983 VG₇, is a stony Florian asteroid and synchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 November 1983, by American astronomer Brian Skiff at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States. It was named after American astronomer Dennis di Cicco. Its minor-planet moon, provisionally designated S/2014 (3841) 1, was discovered in 2014.

Orbit and classification

Dicicco is member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the inner main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,252 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.

It was first identified as 1973 YM₂ at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1973, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation at Anderson Mesa.

Physical characteristics

Dicicco is a stony S-type asteroid in the SMASS classification.

Rotation period

In December 2014, two rotational lightcurves of Dicicco were obtained from photometric observations by an international collaboration of American and European astronomers. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.5949 and 3.5950 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.18 and 0.19 magnitude, respectively (U=3/n.a.).

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Dicicco measures between 4.74 and 6.45 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.294 and 0.38. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 — derived from 8 Flora, the family's largest member and namesake – and derives a diameter of 5.10 kilometers using an absolute magnitude of 13.63.

Satellite

During the photometric observations made in December 2014, it was revealed that Dicicco is a synchronous binary asteroid. Its minor-planet moon, designated S/2014 (3841) 1 measures at least 1.67 kilometers in diameter based on a diameter-ratio of larger than 0.28. Its orbit has an estimated semi-major axis of 12 kilometers, and a derived period of 21.63 and 21.641 hours, respectively.

Naming

This minor planet was named after American amateur astronomer and astrophotographer Dennis di Cicco. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 April 1990 (M.P.C. 16246).

Notes

1. ^ Klinglesmith (2014) web: rotation period 3.5949±0.0002 hours with a brightness amplitude of mag, obs. date: 2014-11-26; Quality Code: n.a.. Summary figures for (3841) Dicicco at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL). Referenced publication 2014CBET.4033....1K is not a valid abstract at ADS

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 3841 Dicicco (1983 VG7)" (2017-03-30 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
2. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(3841) Dicicco". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (3841) Dicicco. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 325–326. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_3833. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
3. ^ "LCDB Data for (3841) Dicicco". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 16 June 2017.
4. ^ Johnston, Robert (16 November 2014). "(3841) Dicicco". Johnston's Archive. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
5. ^ Klinglesmith, Daniel A. III; Franco, Lorenzo; Marchini, Alessandro; Odden, Carolyn E.; Pravec, Petr; Scardella, Maurizio; et al. (October 2015). "3841 Dicicco: A Binary Asteroid". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 42 (4): 249–250. Bibcode:2015MPBu...42..249K. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
6. ^ Nugent, C. R.; Mainzer, A.; Masiero, J.; Bauer, J.; Cutri, R. M.; Grav, T.; et al. (December 2015). "NEOWISE Reactivation Mission Year One: Preliminary Asteroid Diameters and Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 814 (2): 13. arXiv:1509.02522. Bibcode:2015ApJ...814..117N. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/814/2/117. Retrieved 16 June 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 16 June 2017.
9. ^ 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 16 June 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 16 June 2017.
11. ^ "3841 Dicicco (1983 VG7)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 June 2017.
12. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 16 June 2017.

External links

• Asteroids with Satellites, Robert Johnston, johnstonsarchive.net
• Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
• Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
• Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
• Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
• 3841 Dicicco at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 3841 Dicicco at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters

• Minor planet object articles (numbered)
• Flora asteroids
• Discoveries by Brian A. Skiff
• Named minor planets
• Binary asteroids
• S-type asteroids (SMASS)
• Astronomical objects discovered in 1983