Discovered by P. Wild MPC designation 2368 Beltrovata Minor planet category Amor · NEO Absolute magnitude 15.21 | Discovery date 4 September 1977 Alternative names 1977 RA Discovered 4 September 1977 Orbits Sun | |
Similar 4954 Eric, 1627 Ivar, Sun, 1980 Tezcatlipoca, 1580 Betulia | ||
2368 Beltrovata, provisional designation 1977 RA, is an eccentric stony asteroid, classified as near-Earth object of the Amor group of asteroids, approximately 2.7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 September 1977, by Swiss astronomer Paul Wild at Zimmerwald Observatory near Bern, Switzerland.
The stony S-type asteroid is also classified as a transitional SQ-type in the Tholen taxonomy. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.2–3.0 AU once every 3 years and 1 month (1,116 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.41 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. As an Amor asteroid, it approaches the orbit of Earth from the outside but does not cross it. It has an Earth minimum orbit intersection distance of 0.2335 AU (35,000,000 km), which corresponds to 91 lunar distances. The asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovering observation.
The first rotational light-curve for this asteroid was obtained from photoelectric observations made by U.S. astronomers Edward Bowell and Schelte Bus in the 1970s (IAUC 3111), and gave a rotation period of 7000590000000000000♠5.9 hours with a brightness variation of 0.84 magnitude (U=n.a.). In 2000, the Near-Earth Objects Follow-up Program published an identical period but with a higher amplitude of 1.05 magnitude.(U=2).
According to the space-based survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 3.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.16, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 2.7 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 15.21.
The minor planet is named "Beltrovata", which is the name by whom the Swiss author Gottfried Keller from Zürich called his friend Betty Tendering. She served as role model for the character of "Dortchen Schönfund" in Keller's novel Green Henry. Naming citation was published on 1 August 1981 (M.P.C. 6209).