1102 Pepita

Orbit and classification

Pepita is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the outer asteroid belt at a distance of 2.7–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 5 months (1,966 days; semi-major axis of 3.07 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.11 and an inclination of 16° with respect to the ecliptic.

In May 1899, the asteroid was first observed as at Harvard's Boyden Station in Arequipa, Peru (800). The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Barcelona.

Physical characteristics

In the SMASS classification, Pepita is a stony S-type asteroid, which agrees with the body's measured geometric albedo (see below). Conversely, it is also classified as a carbonaceous C-type asteroid by Tholen.

Rotation period and poles

Three rotational lightcurves of Pepita were obtained from photometric observations by astronomers Hilari Pallares and Enric Forné (2006, ), Pierre Antonini and René Roy (2007, ), as well as by Robert Stephens (2007, ). The consolidated lightcurve gave a well-defined rotation period of 5.1054 hours with a brightness amplitude between 0.31 and 0.36 magnitude.

In 2011, a modeled lightcurve using data from the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue and other sources gave a concurring sidereal period 5.10532 hours, as well as two spin axes of (25.0°, −34.0°) and (231.0°, −30.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Pepita measures between 30.88 and 41.733 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1842 and 0.322.

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results obtained by IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.1991 and a diameter of 39.27 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.40.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the discoverer, Josep Comas i Solà (1868–1937), by the feminine form of his nickname, "Pepito". He was the first director of the discovering Fabra Observatory and founded the Astronomical Society of Spain and America (, SADEYA).

The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 104). The asteroid 1655 Comas Solà is also named after him, as is the Martian crater Comas Sola.

References

References

1. {{GPN. 1276