Discovered by M. B. Protitch Discovered 6 September 1940 Discoverer Milorad B. Protić Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 6 September 1940 Orbits Sun | |
Alternative names 1940 RE · 1932 YA1935 JN · 1936 UH1948 MH Discovery site Belgrade Astronomical Observatory Similar Sun, Asteroid belt, 390 Alma, 85 Io, 812 Adele | ||
1554 Yugoslavia, provisional designation 1940 RE, is a stony Eunomian asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Serbian astronomer Milorad Protić at Belgrade Astronomical Observatory, Serbia, on 6 September 1940.
The asteroid is a member of the Eunomia family, a large group of mostly stony S-type asteroids and the most prominent family in the intermediate main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,548 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic. Yugoslavia was first identified as 1932 YA at Uccle Observatory in 1932. Its observation arc begins 4 year prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at Nice Observatory in 1936.
From 2007 to 2012, several photometric light-curve observations of Yugoslavia established a well-defined rotation period of 3.89 hours with a brightness variation between 0.64 and 0.74 magnitude (U=3/3/3).
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Yugoslavia measures between 14.73 and 21.39 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.070 and 0.269. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.21 – derived from 15 Eunomia, the family's largest member and namesake – and calculates a diameter of 15.94 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.3.
The minor planet was named after the former country of Yugoslavia. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 2277).