Discovered by E. Bowell MPC designation 3537 Jürgen Discovered 15 November 1982 Discoverer Edward L. G. Bowell | Discovery date 15 November 1982 Alternative names 1982 VT · 1985 JE1 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Named after Jürgen Rahe(planetary scientist) Similar Sun, 170 Maria, 714 Ulula, 695 Bella | ||
3537 Jürgen, provisional designation 1982 VT, is a stony Eunomia asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station, Arizona, on 15 November 1982.
The S-type asteroid is classified as LS-type by Pan-STARRS' large-scale survey. It is both a member of the Eunomia and Maria family of asteroids. It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.2–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 2 months (1,520 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 15° with respect to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Crimea-Nauchnij in 1982, extending the asteroid's observation arc by just 25 days prior to its discovery.
According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid measures 7.8 and 8.3 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.168 and 0.188, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) assumes an albedo of 0.21 and hence calculates a larger diameter of 9.1 kilometers. A 2004-published photometric light-curve analysis by Brazilian astronomer Alvaro Alvarez-Candal rendered a provisional rotation period of 14 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.3 in magnitude (U=1).
It is named after Jürgen Rahe (1939–1997), planetary scientist, astrophysicist, and Director for Solar System Exploration at NASA's Office of Space Science. He is best known for his cometary atlases and observations using the International Ultraviolet Explorer. He was also a principal investigator of the International Halley Watch (IHW), director of both, the astronomy department at FAU and the Dr. Remeis Observatory, and affiliated with IAU's Physical Studies of Comets, Minor Planets and Meteorites commission for many years. His diplomatic skills in international projects were beneficial to both IHW and IAU. Naming citation was published on 2 April 1988 (M.P.C. 12973).