Discovered by H. van Gent MPC designation 1694 Kaiser Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Discovered 29 September 1934 Orbits Sun Discovery site Union Observatory | Discovery date 29 September 1934 Alternative names 1934 SB · 1960 SD Observation arc 82.12 yr (29,993 days) Aphelion 3.01 m Discoverer Hendrik van Gent Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Named after Frederik Kaiser (astronomer) | ||
1694 Kaiser, provisional designation 1934 SB, is a rare-type carbonaceous asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 29 September 1934, by Dutch astronomer Hendrik van Gent at Leiden Southern Station, annex to the Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa.
Kaiser orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.8–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,354 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.of 1.8–3.0 AU once every 3.71 years (1,354 days). Its eccentric orbit of 0.26 is inclined by 11 degrees towards the plane of the ecliptic. Kaiser's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.
According to the survey the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Kaiser measures 13.84 and 15.68 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.241 and 0.166, respectively. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 28.42 kilometers, using an absolute magnitude of 11.46 On the Tholen taxonomy, the carbonaceous C-type asteroid is classified as a rare GC-type, an intermediate to the G-type asteroids.
Two rotational light-curves for Kaiser were obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Brian D. Warner at his Palmer Divide Observatory in Colorado (see video in § External links). The light-curves from January 2006 and November 2012, gave a rotation period of 13.02 and 13.23 hours and a variation in brightness of 0.32 and 0.13 magnitude, respectively (U=3/2+).
This asteroid was named in honor of Dutch astronomer Frederik Kaiser (1808–1872), the director of the Leiden Observatory from 1837–1872. He founded the new Leiden Observatory and stimulated Dutch astronomical research. Frederick Kaiser is also honored by the lunar and Martian craters Kaiser. Originally, the asteroid was erroneously named Kapteyn (MPC 2822), and only later it was noticed that the Duch astronomer Jacobus Kapteyn was already honored by the minor planet 818 Kapteynia. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 2883).