4659 Roddenberry

4659 Roddenberry, provisional designation 1981 EP20, is a Nysian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3.6 kilometers (2.2 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 2 March 1981, by American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Siding Spring Observatory in Australia.[1] The likely S-type asteroid has an unsecured rotation period of 12 hours.[3] It was named for American screenwriter Gene Roddenberry.[1]

4659 Roddenberry
Discovery [1]
Discovered byS. J. Bus
Discovery siteSiding Spring Obs.
Discovery date2 March 1981
Designations
(4659) Roddenberry
Named after
Gene Roddenberry [1]
(American screenwriter)
1981 EP20 · 1979 SY7
1979 TO1
main-belt [1][2] · (inner)
Nysa [3][4]
Orbital characteristics [2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc41.19 yr (15,044 d)
Aphelion2.9019 AU
Perihelion1.8408 AU
2.3714 AU
Eccentricity0.2237
3.65 yr (1,334 d)
188.19°
0° 16m 11.64s / day
Inclination2.4668°
19.633°
5.1337°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
3.56 km (derived)[3]
3.622±0.601 km[5][6]
12 h (poor)[7]
0.193±0.065[5][6]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
S (assumed)[3]
14.4[2]
14.61[3][6][7]
14.78±0.28[8]

    Orbit and classification

    Roddenberry is a core member of the Nysa family (405),[3][4] a very large family of stony asteroids, alternatively known as Herta family. It is part of the Nysa–Polana complex, the largest grouping of asteroids in the main-belt. The complex is typically further divided into subfamilies with different spectral properties.[9]:23

    The asteroid orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.8–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 8 months (1,334 days; semi-major axis of 2.37 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.22 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in February 1977, or four years prior to its official discovery observation at Siding Spring.[1]

    Physical characteristics

    Roddenberry is an assumed stony S-type asteroid, typical for core members of the Nysa family and in agreement with its high albedo (see below).[3]

    Rotation period

    In the 1990s, a fragmentary rotational lightcurve of Roddenberry was obtained from photometric observations by Richard Binzel. Lightcurve analysis gave a highly uncertain rotation period of 12 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.14 magnitude (U=1). As of 2018, no secure period has been obtained.[3][7]

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Roddenberry measures 3.622 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.193,[5][6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20, and derives a diameter of 3.56 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 14.61.[3]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named in memory of famous American screenwriter, producer and futurist, Gene Roddenberry (1921–1991), known for the Star Trek and Star Trek: The Next Generation television series, and for the Star Trek film franchise.[1] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 18 February 1992 (M.P.C. 19698).[10]

    References
    1. "4659 Roddenberry (1981 EP20)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
    2. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 4659 Roddenberry (1981 EP20)" (2018-04-21 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
    3. "LCDB Data for (4659) Roddenberry". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 17 May 2018.
    4. "Asteroid 4659 Roddenberry". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
    5. 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.
    6. 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. (catalog)
    7. Binzel, Richard P.; Xu, Shui; Bus, Schelte J.; Bowell, Edward (September 1992). "Small Main-Belt Asteroid Lightcurve Survey". Icarus. 99 (1): 225–237. Bibcode:1992Icar...99..225B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(92)90184-9. ISSN 0019-1035.
    8. 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.
    9. Nesvorný, D.; Broz, M.; Carruba, V. (December 2014). Identification and Dynamical Properties of Asteroid Families. Asteroids IV. pp. 297–321. arXiv:1502.01628. Bibcode:2015aste.book..297N. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch016. ISBN 9780816532131.
    10. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 17 May 2018.

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