Discovered by Y. Väisälä MPC designation 1478 Vihuri Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Absolute magnitude 12.63 Discoverer Yrjö Väisälä Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 6 February 1938 Alternative names 1938 CF · 1934 CG Discovered 6 February 1938 Orbits Sun Discovery site Iso-Heikkilä Observatory | |
Named after A. Vihuri (philanthropist) People also search for 1471 Tornio, 1479 Inkeri, 1407 Lindelöf | ||
1478 Vihuri, provisional designation 1938 CF, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 February 1938, by Finnish Yrjö Väisälä at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland.
The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,414 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.0 Vihuri' observation arc begins 11 days prior to its official discovery observation. A precovery taken at Lowell Observatory in 1906, as well as identification 1934 CG made at Uccle in 1934, remained unused.
In December 1983, a rotational light-curve was obtained form photometric observations by American astronomer Richard P. Binzel. The provisional light-curve gave a rotation period of 19.5 hours with a brightness variation of 0.23 magnitude (U=1). As of 2017, no other light-curve of Vihuri has been obtained since.
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Vihuri measures 9.52 and 11.19 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.126 and 0.127, respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 8.45 kilometers, using an absolute magnitude of 12.73.
This minor planet was named for Finnish philanthropist A. Vihuri, a ship owner and supporter of science and arts. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 2882).