5208 Royer (prov. designation: 1989 CH1) is a stony Marian asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 6 February 1989, by astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory. The S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 3.87 hours and was named after American priest and amateur astronomer, Ronald Royer.[1][6]

5208 Royer
Shape model of Royer from its lightcurve
Discovery [1]
Discovered byE. F. Helin
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date6 February 1989
Designations
(5208) Royer
Named after
Msgr Ronald E. Royer [1]
(American priest and
amateur astronomer)
1989 CH1
main-belt[1][2] · (middle)
Maria[3]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc64.29 yr (23,481 d)
Aphelion2.7241 AU
Perihelion2.4844 AU
2.6042 AU
Eccentricity0.0460
4.20 yr (1,535 d)
345.72°
0° 14m 4.2s / day
Inclination15.904°
124.56°
21.407°
Physical characteristics
7.884±0.150 km[4]
8.081±0.121 km[5]
9.40 km (calculated)[6]
3.866 h[7]
3.88494±0.00005 h[8]
0.20 (assumed)[6]
0.270±0.059[5]
0.2854±0.0197[4]
SMASS = S[2][6]
12.5[4][6]
12.6[2]

Orbit and classification

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Royer is a member of the Maria family (506),[3] a large family of stony asteroids with nearly 3,000 known members.[9]: 23 

It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.5–2.7 AU once every 4 years and 2 months (1,535 days; semi-major axis of 2.6 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 16° with respect to the ecliptic.[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in November 1953, more than 35 years prior to its official discovery observation.[1]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after Reverend Ronald E. Royer, an American priest as well as amateur astronomer and astrophotographer.[1] He has been a member of the Los Angeles Astronomical Society (LAAS) since 1946 and received the G. Bruce Blair Award in 2001.[10] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 April 1993 (M.P.C. 21957).[11]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS classification, Royer is a common, stony S-type asteroid.[2][6]

Rotation period and poles

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In 2004, a rotational lightcurve of Royer was obtained from photometric observations by Brazilian and Argentine astronomers. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 3.866 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.44 magnitude (U=2).[7] In 2016, a modeled lightcurves using photometric data from various sources, rendered a sidereal period of 3.88494 and two spin axes of (258.0°, 74.0°) and (54.0°, 37.0°) in ecliptic coordinates.[8]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Royer measures 7.884 and 8.081 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.2854 and 0.270, respectively,[4][5] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 9.40 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.5.[6]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "5208 Royer (1989 CH1)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 5208 Royer (1989 CH1)" (2018-02-24 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  3. ^ a b "Asteroid 5208 Royer – Nesvorny HCM Asteroid Families V3.0". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 27 October 2019.
  4. ^ a b c d 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. ^ a b c 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. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (5208) Royer". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  7. ^ a b Alvarez-Candal, Alvaro; Duffard, René; Angeli, Cláudia A.; Lazzaro, Daniela; Fernández, Silvia (December 2004). "Rotational lightcurves of asteroids belonging to families". Icarus. 172 (2): 388–401. Bibcode:2004Icar..172..388A. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.06.008.
  8. ^ a b Hanuš, J.; Ďurech, J.; Oszkiewicz, D. A.; Behrend, R.; Carry, B.; Delbo, M.; et al. (February 2016). "New and updated convex shape models of asteroids based on optical data from a large collaboration network". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 586: A108. arXiv:1510.07422. Bibcode:2016A&A...586A.108H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201527441. ISSN 0004-6361.
  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. ^ "2001 G. Bruce Blair Award – Rev. Monsignor Ronald E. Royer". Western Amateur Astronomers. Archived from the original on 26 February 2012. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
  11. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 25 April 2018.
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