342843 Davidbowie

342843 Davidbowie, provisional designation 2008 YN₃, is a Henan asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 1.4 kilometers in diameter.

The asteroid was discovered on 21 December 2008, by German astronomer Felix Hormuth from Max-Planck-Institute for Astronomy at Calar Alto Observatory in Almería, southeastern Spain. It was named for British singer-songwriter David Bowie.^[2][5]

Orbit and classification

Davidbowie is a member of the Henan family (532),^[3] a large family of L-type asteroids in the intermediate main-belt, named after 2085 Henan.^[6]: 23 It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.5–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 7 months (1,665 days; semi-major axis of 2.75 AU). The asteroid has a well-observed orbit with the lowest possible condition code. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

It was first identified as 2003 SG₉₉ at the Steward Observatory (Kitt Peak) in September 2003, extending the asteroid's observation arc by almost 5 years prior to its official discovery observation at Calar Alto.^[2]

Notably, the asteroid had a close encounter with the 200 kilometer-sized asteroid 16 Psyche, one of the most massive bodies in the main-belt, which it passed at only 0.04 AU (6,000,000 km) on 15 May 1935.^[1]

Physical characteristics

Based on its absolute magnitude of 17.1, Davidbowie's diameter can be estimated to measure approximately 1.4 kilometers, using an albedo of 0.13, derived from the family's parent body, 2085 Henan.^[4]

As of 2017, Davidbowie's effective size and shape, as well as its poles, albedo and rotation period remain unknown.^[1][7]

Naming

In 2015, this minor planet was named after British singer, songwriter, producer and actor David Bowie (1947–2016), just 3 days before Bowie's 68th birthday. Considered to be one of the most influential artists, Bowie released more than 25 albums, including The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars. He was also an actor in movies such as Labyrinth and The Prestige.^[2][8] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 January 2015 (M.P.C. 91793),^[9]

References

External links

• Minor Planet Center MPC Archive, (MPC 20150105)
• 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 (340001)-(345000) – Minor Planet Center
• 342843 Davidbowie at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 342843 Davidbowie at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters