19383 Rolling Stones

Orbit and classification

Rolling Stones is a core member of the Vesta family (401), one of the largest asteroid families in the main belt. Vestian asteroids have a composition akin to cumulate eucrites (HED meteorites) and are thought to have originated deep within 4 Vesta's crust, possibly from the Rheasilvia crater, a large impact crater on its southern hemisphere near the South pole, formed as a result of a subcatastrophic collision. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,282 days; semi-major axis of 2.31 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.

The body's observation arc begins with a precovery in September 1954, taken at Palomar Observatory and published by the Digitized Sky Survey, more than 43 years prior to its official discovery observation at Caussols.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the English musical group The Rolling Stones. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 August 2003 (M.P.C. 49281). The asteroid's name is unusual in that it is expressed as two words, instead of "Rollingstones" which is the format used by most other minor planets named for individuals or groups (although the asteroid named after Pink Floyd is also expressed as two words).

Physical characteristics

In the SDSS-based taxonomy, Rolling Stones is a bright V-type asteroid.

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Rolling Stones measures 2.68 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.47. As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of this asteroid has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.

References