Discovered by E. W. Elst MPC designation 13058 Alfredstevens Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 19 November 1990 Discovered 19 November 1990 Discoverer Eric Walter Elst | |
Alternative names 1990 WN3 · 1992 GB71992 HB6 People also search for Sun, 3850 Peltier, 1800 Aguilar | ||
13058 Alfredstevens, provisional designation 1990 WN3, is a stony Vestian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Belgian astronomer Eric Elst at ESO's La Silla Observatory in Northern Chile, on 19 November 1990.
Based on its orbital elements, the S-type asteroid is a member of the Vesta family, a group of asteroids that originated from a massive impact on the Southern Hemnisphere of 4 Vesta, the family's namesake. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,323 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.12 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Palomar Observatory on 14 November 1990, extending the asteroid's observation arc by just a few days prior to its discovery.
A rotational light-curve of this asteroid was obtained from photometric observations made at the U.S. Palomar Transient Factory in January 2013. The light-curve gave a rotation period of 7000429929999999999♠4.2993±0.0057 hours with a brightness variation of 0.45 in magnitude (U=2). According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 2.6 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.34, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a larger diameter of 3.1 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 14.93.
The minor planet was named in honour of Belgian painter Alfred Stevens (1823–1906), known for his paintings of elegant modern women. Naming citation was published on 30 January 2010 (M.P.C. 68446).