Discovered by A. Nakamura MPC designation 6255 Kuma Discovered 5 December 1994 Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 5 December 1994 Minor planet category main-belt · (middle) Absolute magnitude 12.5 Discoverer Akimasa Nakamura | |
Named after Kuma, Ehime
(Japanese town) Alternative names 1994 XT · 1975 VJ8
1981 DV3 · 1986 EB2
1988 SU4 · 1989 WP3
1992 OL1 Discovery site Kuma Kogen Astronomical Observatory | ||
6255 Kuma, provisional designation 1994 XT, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, about 22 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 5 December 1994, by Japanese astronomer Akimasa Nakamura at Kuma Kogen Astronomical Observatory on the Island of Shikoku, Japan.
The dark C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–2.8 AU once every 4 years and 6 months (1,658 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.03 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Crimea–Nauchnij in 1975, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 19 years prior to its discovery.
A rotational light-curve was obtained from photometric observations made by American astronomer Brian Warner at the Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado, in September 2006. The light-curve showed a rotation period of 7000969999999999999♠9.70±0.01 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.15 in magnitude (U=2).
According to the space-based surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its NEOWISE mission, the asteroid measures between 17.9 and 22.7 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has a low albedo in the range of 0.03 to 0.06. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an even lower albedo of 0.02 and a diameter of 22.7 kilometers.
The minor planet was named after the Japanese rural town Kuma (now Kumakōgen, Ehime), home of the discovering observatory that was built in 1992 for astronomical education and tourism. Kuma is located on the Japanese island of Shikoku, after which the minor planet 4223 Shikoku is named. The town supports local cultural activities and is a significant destination for pilgrims. Naming citation was published on 14 May 1995 (M.P.C. 25231).