Discovered by K. Reinmuth MPC designation 2537 Gilmore Minor planet category main-belt · Eunomia Discovered 4 September 1951 Discoverer Karl Wilhelm Reinmuth | Discovery date 4 September 1951 Alternative names 1951 RL · 1977 QP2 Observation arc 65.17 yr (23,803 days) Orbits Sun Asteroid family Eunomia family | |
Named after Alan C. Gil (astronomer) Discovery site Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory Similar 1862 Apollo, Sun, 1419 Danzig, 1056 Azalea, 1635 Bohrmann | ||
2537 Gilmore, provisional designation 1951 RL, is a Eunomia asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 7 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 4 September 1951, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southern Germany.
The asteroid is a member of the Eunomia family, a large group of S-type asteroids and the most prominent family in the intermediate main-belt. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 4 months (1,581 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 13° with respect to the ecliptic. As no precoveries were taken, the asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovery in 1951.
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 7.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.309, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.21 and calculates a diameter of 6.7 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 13.19.
Two rotational light-curves for this asteroid were obtained from photometric observations at the U.S. Palomar Transient Factory, California, from January to February 2014. The light-curves gave a rotation period of 7000423000000000000♠4.230±0.020 and 7000423020000000000♠4.2302±0.0399 hours with a brightness variation of 0.34 and 0.35 in magnitude, respectively (U=2/2).
The minor planet was named in honor of New Zealand astronomer couple Alan C. Gilmore and his wife, Pamela (née Kilmartin), two very productive observers of comets and minor planet in the Southern Hemisphere. They research at the Mount John University Observatory since 1980, and are members of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. Naming citation was published on 24 July 1983 (M.P.C. 8064), based on a proposal by Conrad Bardwell (see 1615 Bardwell) and Brian G. Marsden. Pamela Gilmore is also honored by the minor planet 3907 Kilmartin.