Girish Mahajan (Editor)

2368 Beltrovata

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Discovered by
  
P. Wild

MPC designation
  
2368 Beltrovata

Minor planet category
  
Amor · NEO

Absolute magnitude
  
15.21

Discoverer
  
Paul Wild

Asteroid group
  
Amor asteroid

Discovery date
  
4 September 1977

Alternative names
  
1977 RA

Discovered
  
4 September 1977

Orbits
  
Sun

Discovery site
  
Zimmerwald Observatory

Named after
  
Betty Tendering (friend of Gottfried Keller)

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).

References

2368 Beltrovata Wikipedia