12482 Pajka

12482 Pajka, provisional designation 1997 FG₁, is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 4.3 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Slovak astronomers Adrián Galád and Alexander Pravda at Modra Observatory on 23 March 1997.^[6] It was named after Paula Pravdová ("Pajka"), the daughter of the second discoverer.^[2]

12482 Pajka

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	A. Galád A. Pravda
Discovery site	Modra Obs.
Discovery date	23 March 1997
Designations
MPC designation	(12482) Pajka
Named after	Paula Pravdová (discoverer's daughter)[2]
Alternative designations	1997 FG1
Minor planet category	main-belt · (inner)[3] background
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	24.77 yr (9,048 days)
Aphelion	2.8060 AU
Perihelion	2.0264 AU
Semi-major axis	2.4162 AU
Eccentricity	0.1613
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.76 yr (1,372 days)
Mean anomaly	166.06°
Mean motion	0° 15m 44.64s / day
Inclination	8.6213°
Longitude of ascending node	133.39°
Argument of perihelion	30.048°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	4.30 km (calculated)[3]
Synodic rotation period	3.9428±0.0001 h[4]
Geometric albedo	0.20 (assumed)[3]
Spectral type	S (assumed)[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.99±0.21[5] 14.2[1][3]

Orbit and classification

Pajka is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.0–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,372 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

The body's observation arc begins 6 years prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at Steward Observatory (Kitt Peak–Spacewatch) in October 1991.^[6]

Naming

This minor planet was named after Paula Pravdová (born 1990), whose familiar name is "Pajka". She is the daughter of the discovering astronomer Alexander Pravda and often visited Modra Observatory.^[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 28 March 2002 (M.P.C. 45234).^[7]

Physical characteristics

A rotational lightcurve of Pajka was obtained from photometric observations made by the discovering astronomer at Modra Observatory in January 2008. The lightcurve showed a rotation period of 3.9428 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.21 in magnitude (U=3-).^[4] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 4.3 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 14.2.^[3]