Discovered by E. F. Helin MPC designation 1982 Cline Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Absolute magnitude 12.5 Discoverer Eleanor F. Helin Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 4 November 1975 Named after Edwin Cline (inventor) Discovered 4 November 1975 Orbits Sun | |
Alternative names 1975 VA · 1936 OO1957 LN · 1961 XC1961 XK · 1973 AS Similar 4015 Wilson–Harrington, Sun, 6489 Golevka, 9969 Braille, 4769 Castalia | ||
1982 Cline, provisional designation 1975 VA, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 November 1975, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory in California.
The S-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.7–2.9 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,283 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.25 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic. As a main-belt asteroid with a perihelion of less than 1.74 AU, it is not far from being a Mars-crosser (1.67 AU). The first precovery was taken at Johannesburg Observatory (Hartbeespoort, 076) in 1957, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 18 years prior to its discovery.
The body's first and only rotational light-curve was obtained by American astronomer James W. Birnsfield at the Via Capote Observatory (G69), California, in November 2011. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 7000578000000000000♠5.78±0.01 hours with a brightness variation of 0.36 in magnitude (U=3).
According to the survey carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the latest data from the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 7.2 and 8.1 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.194 of 0.34, respectively. Previous results by WISE/NEOWISE also gave a diameter of 6.03 and 8.4 kilometers. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 8.18 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 12.8.
The minor planet was named in memory of Edwin Lee Cline, a friend of the discoverer and a known inventor in the automotive field who "looked to space as the new frontier". Naming citation was published before November 1977 (M.P.C. 4158).