Discovered by H. Gessner MPC designation 3642 Frieden Observation arc 80.40 yr (29,366 days) Absolute magnitude 11.2 Discoverer Herta Gessner | Discovery date 4 December 1953 Minor planet category main-belt · (middle) Discovered 4 December 1953 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Alternative names 1953 XL1 · 1936 FU1945 BD · 1950 FK1959 CB1 · 1959 EB11978 GB3 · 1982 BK8A908 ED | ||
3642 Frieden, provisional designation 1953 XL1, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 35 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by German astronomer Herta Gessner at Sonneberg Observatory on 4 December 1953.
The C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.6–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,699 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.08 and an inclination of 13° with respect to the ecliptic. The body was first identified as "1908 ED" at the U.S Taunton Observatory (803) in 1908, while its first used observation was made at the Belgian Uccle Observatory 1936, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 17 years prior to its official discovery.
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures between 31.9 and 36.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.046 and 0.071. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.047 and a diameter of 35.1 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 11.2.
In April 2006, a rotational light-curve was obtained for this asteroid from photometric observations by Brian D. Warner at his Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado. It gave a well-defined rotation period of 7001144910000000000♠14.491±0.003 hours with a brightness variation of 6999130000000000000♠0.13±0.02 in magnitude (U=3).
The minor planet was named after the German translation of the goddess Pax in the hope for peace (German: Frieden) around the world. Naming citation was published on 2 February 1988 (M.P.C. 12808).