Discovered by A. GaládA. Pravda MPC designation 12482 Pajka Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Absolute magnitude 14.2 | Discovery date 23 March 1997 Alternative names 1997 FG1 Discovered 23 March 1997 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Discoverers Adrián Galád, Alexander Pravda People also search for Sun, 11636 Pezinok, 14968 Kubáček | ||
12482 Pajka, provisional designation 1997 FG1, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Slovak astronomers Adrián Galád and Alexander Pravda at Modra Observatory on 23 March 1997.
The stony S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.0–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,372 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Steward Observatory (Kitt Peak–Spacewatch) in 1991, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 6 years prior to its discovery.
A rotational light-curve was obtained from photometric observations made by the discovering astronomer at Modra Observatory in January 2008. The light-curve showed a rotation period of 7000394280000000000♠3.9428±0.0001 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.21 in magnitude (U=3-). The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 4.3 kilometers.
The minor planet was named after Paula Pravdová (b. 1990), whose familiar name is "Pajka". She is the daughter of the discovering astronomer Alexander Pravda and often visited Modra Observatory. Naming citation was published on 28 March 2002 (M.P.C. 45234).