Discovered by B. A. Skiff MPC designation 13006 Schwaar Minor planet category main-belt · Phocaea Absolute magnitude 13.6 Discoverer Brian A. Skiff Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 12 January 1983 Alternative names 1983 AC1 · 1990 DH Discovered 12 January 1983 Orbits Sun Discovery site Anderson Mesa Station | |
Named after Pierre–Yves Schwaar
(amateur astronomer) People also search for Sun, 4147 Lennon, 2864 Soderblom | ||
13006 Schwaar, provisional designation 1983 AC1, is a stony Phocaea asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 12 January 1983, by American astronomer Brian Skiff at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona.
The stony S-type asteroid is a member of the Phocaea family, a rather small group of asteroids with similar orbital characteristics, named after its largest member, 25 Phocaea. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,252 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 29° with respect to the ecliptic. No precoveries were taken. The asteroid's observation arc begins 20 days after its discovery.
A rotational light-curve for this asteroid was obtained from photometric observations made at the Hunters Hill Observatory (E14), Australia, and collaborating stations in December 2006. The light-curve gave a rotation period of 7000680000000000000♠6.8 hours with a brightness variation of 0.17 in magnitude (U=3-). According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 5.3 and 5.9 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.182 and 0.185, respectively, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for members of the Phocaea family of 0.23 and calculates a diameter of 5.0 kilometers.
The minor planet was named in memory amateur astronomer Pierre–Yves Schwaar (1946–2000), member of the Saguaro Astronomy Club (SAC), telescope maker, and photographer of the night sky. Naming citation was published on 9 January 2001 (M.P.C. 41939). The native Swiss amateur astronomer and immigrant to the U.S. was also an inventor and master craftsman, a model rocketeer, an USAF aircraft mechanic, a Vietnam veteran, and an eclipse chaser.