Discovered by L. Kohoutek MPC designation 1933 Tinchen Orbital period 1,319 days Orbits Sun Asteroid family Vesta family | Discovery date 14 January 1972 Minor planet category main-belt · Vesta Discovered 14 January 1972 Discoverer Luboš Kohoutek Discovery site Hamburg Observatory | |
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Named after Christine Kohoutek
(wife of the discoverer) Alternative names 1972 AC · 1956 TB
1956 VE · 1962 JF
1962 JS Similar Asteroid belt, Sun, Comet Kohoutek, 1865 Cerberus, 4 Vesta | ||
1933 Tinchen, provisional designation 1972 AC, is a Vestian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, about 5 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Czech astronomer Luboš Kohoutek at the Hamburger Bergedorf Observatory, Germany on 14 January 1972. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,318 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.12 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.
The vestoid or V-type asteroid is also a member of the Vesta family. Asteroids with these spectral and orbital characteristics are thought to have all originated from the Rheasilvia crater, a large impact crater on the south-polar surface of 4 Vesta, which is the main-belt's second-most-massive asteroid after 1 Ceres. Tinchen has a rotation period of 3.671 hours. Its assumed high geometric albedo of 0.4 is based on observational data in the range of 0.30–0.61.
The discoverer named the asteroid after his wife, Christine Kohoutek. Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 3938).