Discovered by A. D. Andrews MPC designation 1727 Mette Discovered 25 January 1965 Orbits Sun Discovery site Boyden Observatory | Discovery date 25 January 1965 Alternative names 1965 BA · 1955 DC Absolute magnitude 12.7 Discoverer A. David Andrews Asteroid group Mars-crosser asteroid | |
Named after Mette Andrews
(wife of discoverer) Minor planet category Mars-crosser · Hungaria Similar 2577 Litva, 132 Aethra, 317 Roxane, Solar System, Sun | ||
1727 Mette, provisional designation 1965 BA, is a binary Hungaria asteroid and Mars-crosser from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 25 January 1965, by English astronomer David Andrews at Boyden Observatory near Bloemfontein in Free State, South Africa .
The S-type asteroid is a member of the Hungaria family, which form the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.7–2.0 AU once every 2 years and 6 months (922 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 23° with respect to the ecliptic. Being a Mars-crosser, Mette will make a relatively close approach to Mars on April 15, 2023, when it will pass near the Red Planet at a distance of less than 0.08 AU (12,000,000 km). It was first identified as 1955 DC at Goethe Link Observatory in 1955, extending the body's observation arc by 10 years prior to its official discovery observation.
A large number of rotational light-curves of Mette were obtained from photometric observations. They gave a rotation period of approximately 2.981 hours (best rated results) with a brightness variation between 0.22 and 0.38 magnitude, indicating a moderately elongated body (U=3/3/3). The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 8.97 kilometers. No diameter estimates, were obtained by the space-based IRAS, Akari and WISE observatories.
In 2013, a satellite orbiting the asteroid was discovered. The moon measures about 2 kilometers in diameter and orbits Mette once every 20 hours and 59 minutes. There are several hundreds of asteroids known to have satellites (also see Category:Binary asteroids).
This minor planet was named by the discoverer after his wife, Mette Andrews for her comprehension of his nocturnal working hours and absence from home. Naming citation was published on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5183).