Discovered by P. Wild MPC designation 1844 Susilva Discovered 30 October 1972 Discoverer Paul Wild Discovery site Zimmerwald Observatory | Discovery date 30 October 1972 Minor planet category main-belt · Eos Orbits Sun Asteroid family Eos family Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Named after Susi Petit–Pierre
(fiend of discoverer) Alternative names 1972 UB · 1943 EU
1953 AA · 1959 GJ Similar Sun, 3552 Don Quixote, 81P/Wild | ||
1844 Susilva, provisional designation 1972 UB, is a stony asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 October 1972, by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland.
Susilva is a member of the Eos family, a collisional group of more than 4,000 asteroids, which are well known for mostly being of silicaceous composition. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.9–3.2 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,914 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic. First identified as 1943 EU at Turku Observatory, Susilva's first used observation was taken at Uccle Observatory in 1953, extending the body's observation arc by 19 years prior to its official discovery observation.
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures between 19.0 and 26.8 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.118 to 0.236. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.14, and calculates a diameter of 22.4 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.0. Susilva's rotation period has not yet been measured.
The discoverer named a pair of asteroids after two of his former schoolmates, Susi and Helen, both from the small village of Wald, Zürich in Switzerland. This one was dedicated to Susi Petit–Pierre, while the subsequently numbered asteroid, 1845 Helewalda, was given to Helen Gachnang. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 4156).