Discovered by L. G. Karachkina MPC designation 4997 Ksana Minor planet category main-belt · (outer) Aphelion 3.81 m Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 6 October 1986 Alternative names 1986 TM Discovered 6 October 1986 Inclination 32.838° | |
Named after Kseniya A. Nessler(discoverer's friend) Discovery site | ||
4997 Ksana, provisional designation 1986 TM, is a rare-type asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 October 1986, by Russian astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory on the Crimean peninsula.
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–3.8 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,776 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.33 and an inclination of 33° with respect to the ecliptic. As no precoveries were taken, the asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovery observation in 1986.
On the SMASS taxonomic scheme, it has a B-type spectrum, which is typical for primitive, volatile-rich asteroids. According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the body measures between 7.36 and 7001100000000000000♠10±1 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.16 and 0.316, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a larger diameter of 14.64 kilometers, based on an absolute magnitude of 12.9.
In February 2007, a rotational light-curve was obtained for this asteroid from photometric observations by Italian astronomer Federico Manzini at the SAS observatory in Novara, Italy. It gave it a rotation period of 7000343420000000000♠3.4342±0.0003 hours with a brightness variation of 0.21 in magnitude (U=2).
The minor planet was named by the discoverer for Russian chemist Kseniya Andreevna Nessler, who has been an advocate against environmental pollution. Naming citation was published on 1 September 1993 (M.P.C. 22505 and 22609).