1429 Pemba

Orbit and classification

Pemba is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 1.7–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,492 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.33 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Johannesburg.

Physical characteristics

Pemba is an assumed stony S-type asteroid.

Rotation period

In September 1982, a rotational lightcurve of Pemba was obtained from photometric observations. Analysis of the fragmentary lightcurve gave a rotation period of 20 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.3 magnitude (). As of 2017, no secure period has been determined.

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Pemba measures between 8.71 and 10.75 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.1316 and 0.196.

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts Petr Pravec's revised WISE results, that is, an albedo of 0.1316 and a diameter of 10.37 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.74.

Naming

This minor planet was named for the Pemba Island, Tanzania, part of the Zanzibar Archipelago, which was once under the rule of the Sultan of Zanzibar. It is located off the East Coast of Africa in the Indian Ocean. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center in April 1953 (M.P.C. 909).

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