Discovered by A. Lowe MPC designation 78431 Kemble Discovered 16 August 2002 Orbits Sun Discovery site Palomar Observatory | Discovery date 16 August 2002 Minor planet category main-belt · (inner) Absolute magnitude 16.7 Discoverer Andrew Lowe Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Named after Lucian Kemble
(Franciscan friar and
amateur astronomer) Alternative names 2002 QJ50 · 1999 YC2
2001 EY26 People also search for 79353 Andrewalday, 78578 Donpettit | ||
78431 Kemble, provisional designation 2002 QJ50, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by astronomer Andrew Lowe on images taken at the U.S. Palomar Observatory, California, on 16 August 2002.
Kemble orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 10 months (1,395 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic. A precovery obtained at the Steward Observatory (Kitt Peak) in 1991, extends the body's observation arc by 11 years prior to its discovery observation.
As of 2016, Kemble's effective size, its composition and albedo, as well as its rotation period and shape remain unknown. Based on its absolute magnitude of 16.7 and an assumed albedo in the range of 0.05 to 0.25, a generic diameter of 1 to 3 kilometers can be derived. Since asteroids in the inner main-belt are often of a silicaceous rather than of a carbonaceous composition, with higher albedos, typically around 0.20, the asteroid's diameter might be on the lower end of NASA's published conversion table, as the higher the body's reflectivity (albedo), the smaller its diameter, for a given absolute magnitude (brightness).
The minor planet was named in honour of Father Lucian Kemble (1922–1999), who was a Franciscan friar and astronomer. His recorded main interest in astronomy was searching out deep sky objects and he was also known for his interest in asterisms such as Kemble's Cascade. Naming citation was published on 18 September 2005 (M.P.C. 54828).