2013 Tucapel, provisional designation 1971 UH4, is an eccentric Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 October 1971, by the University of Chile's National Astronomical Observatory at Cerro El Roble Astronomical Station.[10] It was named for one of the indigenous Mapuche chiefs.

2013 Tucapel
Discovery[1]
Discovered byUniversity of Chile
(National Astronomical Observatory of Chile)
Discovery siteCerro El Roble Stn.
Discovery date22 October 1971
Designations
(2013) Tucapel
Named after
Battle of Tucapel[2]
1971 UH4 · 1936 PL
1940 XC · 1942 EP1
1950 TP2 · 1969 AT
1974 MM · 1974 NA
1974 OJ
main-belt · Flora[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc76.32 yr (27,876 days)
Aphelion2.8074 AU
Perihelion1.7714 AU
2.2894 AU
Eccentricity0.2263
3.46 yr (1,265 days)
130.64°
0° 17m 4.2s / day
Inclination7.5036°
96.545°
238.12°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions10.61±0.72 km[4]
11.187±0.380 km[5]
11.84 km (calculated)[3]
12.16±0.75 km[6]
12.685±0.065 km[7]
9.028±0.008 h[8]
0.1003±0.0179[7]
0.110±0.014[6]
0.24 (assumed)[3]
0.328±0.044[4][5]
S[3]
11.70[4] · 11.8[1][3] · 12.27±0.61[9] · 12.6[6][7]

Orbit and classification

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Tucapel is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,265 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.23 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

It was first observed as 1936 PL at Johannesburg Observatory in 1936. Its first used observation was taken at Turku Observatory in 1942, when it was identified as 1942 EP1, thereby extending the body's observation arc by 29 years prior to its official discovery observation at Cerro El Roble.[10]

Physical characteristics

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Tucapel has been characterized as a common S-type asteroid.[3]

Rotation period

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In October 2009, a rotational lightcurve of Tucapel was obtained from photometric observations at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09) in Australia. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 9.028 hours with a brightness variation of 0.34 magnitude (U=3).[8]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Tucapel measures between 10.61 and 12.685 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1003 and 0.328.[4][5][6][7] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 — derived from 8 Flora, the family's largest member and namesake – and calculates a diameter of 11.84 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 11.8.[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named for one of the brave chiefs of the Mapuche, indigenous inhabitants of south-central Chile and southwestern Argentina, who, with his wife Gualeva, victoriously entered the city of Imperial. He died in 1560, fighting against the colonial Spaniards (also see Arauco War, Battle of Tucapel and Lautaro).[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1980 (M.P.C. 5359).[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2013 Tucapel (1971 UH4)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 10 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2013) Tucapel". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2013) Tucapel. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 163. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2014. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (2013) Tucapel". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (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 8 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  7. ^ 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.
  8. ^ a b Krotz, Jonathan; Albers, Kendra; Carbo, Landry; Kragh, Katherine; Meiers, Andrew; Yim, Arnold; et al. (July 2010). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 37 (3): 99–101. Bibcode:2010MPBu...37...99K. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  9. ^ 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 8 December 2016.
  10. ^ a b "2013 Tucapel (1971 UH4)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.
  11. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 8 December 2016.