1284 Latvia

1284 Latvia, provisional designation 1933 OP, is a rare-type asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 37 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 July 1933, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at Heidelberg Observatory in southern Germany, and named after the Republic of Latvia.^[2][15]

1284 Latvia

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	K. Reinmuth
Discovery site	Heidelberg Obs.
Discovery date	27 July 1933
Designations
MPC designation	(1284) Latvia
Named after	Latvia (Republic of Latvia)[2]
Alternative designations	1933 OP · 1925 WK 1931 DW · 1933 QP 1950 RL
Minor planet category	main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	83.45 yr (30,481 days)
Aphelion	3.0967 AU
Perihelion	2.1952 AU
Semi-major axis	2.6459 AU
Eccentricity	0.1704
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.30 yr (1,572 days)
Mean anomaly	78.834°
Mean motion	0° 13m 44.4s / day
Inclination	10.874°
Longitude of ascending node	302.96°
Argument of perihelion	114.40°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	33.27±7.09 km[4] 36.81±1.2 km (IRAS:18)[5] 41.128±0.457 km[6] 41.47±0.52 km[7] 45.19±0.74 km[8] 47.255±0.627 km[9]
Synodic rotation period	9.55±0.01 h[10] 9.552±0.001 h[11] 9.644±0.002 h[12] 18 h[13]
Geometric albedo	0.0634±0.0058[9] 0.069±0.011 [8] 0.083±0.003[7] 0.1045±0.007 (IRAS:18)[5] 0.13±0.06[4]
Spectral type	B–V = 0.768[1] U–B = 0.353[1] T (Tholen),[1] L (SMASS)[1] · L[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	10.20±0.17[14] · 10.23[4] · 10.24[1][3][5][7][8][9]

Orbit and classification

Latvia orbits the Sun in the middle main-belt at a distance of 2.2–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 4 months (1,572 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

It was first identified as 1925 WK at Moscow Observatory (105) in 1925, and then as 1931 DW at Lowell Observatory in 1931. The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation at Heidelberg in 1933.^[15]

Physical characteristics

Spectral type

Latvia is classified as a rare T and L type asteroid in the Tholen and SMASS taxonomy scheme, respectively, both indicating a featureless spectra of a dark and reddish body.^[1]

Rotation period

The so-far best rated rotational lightcurve of Latvia was obtained by the "Spanish Photometric Asteroid Analysis Group" (OBAS) in September 2015. Lightcurve analysis gave it a rotation period of 9.55 hours with a brightness variation of 0.23 magnitude (U=3-).^[10]

Previous photometric observations by James W. Brinsfield at Via Capote Observatory (G69) and French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi gave a period of 9.552 and 9.644 hours with an amplitude of 0.10 and 0.21 magnitude, respectively (U=2/2).^[11][12] The first rotational lightcurve obtained by Richard P. Binzel in the 1980s gave a twice a long period solution of 18 hours (U=1).^[13]

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Latvia measures between 33.27 and 41.47 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.083 and 0.13 (without preliminary results).^[4][5][6][7] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results by IRAS, that is an albedo of 0.1045 and a diameter of 36.81 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.24.^[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named after the Republic of Latvia.^[2] Naming citation was first mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 118).^[2]