9968 Serpe

9968 Serpe, provisional designation 1992 JS2, is an asteroid from the middle regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter.

9968 Serpe
Orbits of Serpe (blue), the inner planets and Jupiter (outermost)
Discovery [1]
Discovered byH. Debehogne
Discovery siteLa Silla Obs.
Discovery date4 May 1992
Designations
(9968) Serpe
Named after
Jean Serpe
(Belgian physicist)[2]
1992 JS2 · 1977 VT
1985 SC2 · 1988 KR1
main-belt · (middle)
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc39.56 yr (14,451 days)
Aphelion2.6974 AU
Perihelion2.4354 AU
2.5664 AU
Eccentricity0.0510
4.11 yr (1,502 days)
346.96°
0° 14m 22.92s / day
Inclination12.993°
213.10°
78.256°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions12.355±0.453 km[3]
0.088±0.011[3]
13.0[1]

    This asteroid was discovered on 4 May 1992, by Belgian astronomer Henri Debehogne at ESO's La Silla Observatory in northern Chile. It was named after Belgian physicist Jean Serpe.[2]

    Orbit and classification

    Serpe orbits the Sun in the middle main-belt at a distance of 2.4–2.7 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,502 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 13° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] In 1977, it was first observed as 1977 VT at Cerro El Roble Station in Argentina, extending the body's observation arc by 15 years prior to its official discovery at La Silla.[2]

    Physical characteristics

    Diameter and albedo

    According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 12.355 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.088.[3]

    Rotation period

    As of 2017, no rotational lightcurve has been obtained of Serpe. The body's rotation period and shape, as well as its spectral type remain unknown.[1][4]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named after Belgian Jean Nicolas François Jules Serpe (1914–2001), theoretical-physicist, professor at Liège University and member of the RASAB.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 17 May 2011 (M.P.C. 75102).[5]

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    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 9968 Serpe (1992 JS2)" (2017-06-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 22 June 2017.
    2. "9968 Serpe (1992 JS2)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 March 2017.
    3. Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; Cabrera, M. S. (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 23 August 2016.
    4. "LCDB Data for (9968) Serpe". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 9 April 2017.
    5. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 9 March 2017.

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