1467 Mashona

Classification and orbit

Mashona orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.8 AU once every 6 years and 3 months (2,277 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic. It is a member of the Cybele asteroid group.

In February 1923, it was first identified as at Heidelberg Observatory in Germany. The body's observation arc begins at Johannesburg, 5 days after its official discovery observation.

Mashona was the highest numbered asteroid used in calculating the future orbit of 101955 Bennu.

Physical characteristics

In the Tholen classification, Mashona is a rare GC-type, a spectral type that transitions between the common C and rare G-type asteroids.

Lightcurves

Until April 2010, three rotational lightcurves of Mashona have been obtained from photometric observations. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period between 9.74 and 9.76 hours with a brightness amplitude varying from 0.24 to 0.31 magnitude ().

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Mashona measures between 89.160 and 104.119 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.05 and 0.083. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 107.54 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 8.57. Among nearly half a million asteroids, Mashona belongs to the 200 largest bodies.

Naming

This minor planet was named for the Shona people (Mashona), natives of Mashonaland in Zimbabwe, then Rhodesia. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center in April 1953 (M.P.C. 909).

References

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