Discovered by T. B. Spahr MPC designation 7476 Ogilsbie Minor planet category main-belt · (outer) Absolute magnitude 10.9 Discoverer Timothy B. Spahr Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 14 April 1993 Alternative names 1993 GE · 1971 HU Discovered 14 April 1993 Orbits Sun Discovery site Catalina Station | |
Named after Brian Ogilsbie
(friend of discoverer) People also search for Callirrhoe, Sun, (32896) 1994 NM2 | ||
7476 Ogilsbie, provisional designation 1993 GE, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 20 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Timothy Spahr at the U.S. Catalina Station in Tucson, Arizona, on 14 April 1993.
The C-type asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.4–3.9 AU once every 5 years and 7 months (2,043 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.23 and an inclination of 26° with respect to the ecliptic. The first used precovery was obtained at Palomar Observatory in 1990, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 3 years prior to its discovery. The first (unused) observation at Palomar dates back to 1953.
In 2010, a photometric light-curve analysis by Italian astronomer Andrea Ferrero at the Bigmuskie Observatory (B88) in Mombercelli, Italy, rendered a well-defined rotation period of 7000392000000000000♠3.92±0.01 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.40 in magnitude (U=3). According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, the asteroid has a diameter of 18.5 and 19.0 kilometer based on an albedo of 0.15 and 0.18, respectively, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and hence calculates a larger diameter of 27.9 kilometers.
The minor planet was named in memory of Brian K. Ogilsbie (1970–1997). School mate and good friend, he is well remembered by the discoverer for the long talks they had on their excursions. Naming citation was published on 27 April 2002 (M.P.C. 45336).