5380 Sprigg

5380 Sprigg
Discovery
Discovered byR. H. McNaught
Discovery siteSiding Spring Obs.
Discovery date7 May 1991
Designations
Named after
Reg Sprigg
(Australian geologist)
1991 JT · 1983 JN
1983 LA1
main-belt · (middle)
background
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc35.92 yr (13,118 days)
Aphelion3.1229 AU
Perihelion2.0357 AU
2.5793 AU
Eccentricity0.2108
4.14 yr (1,513 days)
102.71°
0° 14m 16.44s / day
Inclination9.3019°
242.31°
358.90°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions6.606±0.290 km
12.75 km (calculated)
3.219±0.002 h
0.057 (assumed)
0.280±0.025
X · C
12.9 · 13.03±0.32 · 13.2

5380 Sprigg, provisional designation 1991 JT, is a background asteroid from the middle regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 7 May 1991, by Australian astronomer Robert McNaught at Siding Spring Observatory in New South Wales, Australia. It was named after Australian geologist Reg Sprigg.

Orbit and classification

Sprigg is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.0–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 2 months (1,513 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic. A first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory in 1980, extending the body's observation arc by 11 years prior to its official discovery observation at Siding Spring.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Reg Sprigg (1919–1994), Australian exploration geologist, oceanographer, biologist, author and conservationist. In 1946, he discovered the pre-Cambrian Ediacara biota, an assemblage of some of the most ancient animal fossils known. He is also the founder of the Arkaroola Wilderness Sanctuary which also hosts a small observatory. The naming was proposed by astronomer Duncan Steel. Naming citation was prepared by the Sprigg family and published on 11 April 1998 (M.P.C. 31609).

Physical characteristics

Sprigg has been classified as an X-type asteroid by Pan-STARRS photometric survey.

Rotation period

A rotational lightcurve of Sprigg was obtained from photometric observations by astronomer Maurice Clark at Texas Tech University in October 2013. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.219 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.68 magnitude, indicating that the body has a non-spheroidal shape (U=3-).

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Sprigg measures 6.606 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.280, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a larger diameter of 12.75 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.2.

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 5380 Sprigg (1991 JT)" (2016-09-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 20 June 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(5380) Sprigg". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (5380) Sprigg. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 460. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_5173. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "MinorPlanet.info: One Asteroid Information". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 29 March 2017. Search using Number = "5380"
  4. 1 2 3 4 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.
  5. 1 2 3 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 29 March 2017.
  6. 1 2 Clark, Maurice (July 2014). "Asteroid Photometry from the Preston Gott Observatory". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 41 (3): 178–183. Bibcode:2014MPBu...41..178C. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  7. 1 2 3 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 29 March 2017.
  8. 1 2 "5380 Sprigg (1991 JT)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 March 2017.
  9. ↑ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 29 March 2017.