Discovered by G. W. Billings Discovery date 15 September 1999 Alternative names 1999 RE44 · 1997 EJ19 Absolute magnitude 15.2 Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery site Calgary Obs. (681) MPC designation 40463 Frankkameny Discovered 15 September 1999 Orbits Sun | |
Named after Frank Kameny
(gay rights activist) | ||
40463 Frankkameny, provisional designation 1999 RE44, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 September 1999, by Canadian amateur astronomer Gary W. Billings at Calgary Observatory () in Alberta, Canada.
The C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.3–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,692 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic. Frankkameny was first identified as 1997 EJ19 by Spacewatch in 1997, extending the asteroid's observation arc by more than 2 years prior to its discovery observation.
It has a rotation period of 56.6 hours with a brightness variation of 0.51 magnitude, based on a light-curve obtained in September 2013, from photometric observations made at the Palomar Transient Factory, California (U=2). While not being a slow rotator, Frankkameny's period is far longer than average, and its brightness amplitude is indicative of a non-spheroidal shape.
According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures 3.9 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.075, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 4.2 kilometers.
The minor planet was named in honour of American astronomer and gay rights activist Frank Kameny (1925–2011), by the Minor Planet Center and the International Astronomical Union on 3 July 2012. Frank Kameny was a Harvard-trained variable star astronomer. He died 11 October 2011. Naming citation was published on 3 July 2012 (M.P.C. 79911).