1359 Prieska

1359 Prieska, provisional designation 1935 OC, is a rare-type carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 50 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 July 1935, by English-born South-African astronomer Cyril Jackson at Johannesburg Observatory in South Africa.^[10] The asteroid was named after the South African town of Prieska.

1359 Prieska

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	C. Jackson
Discovery site	Johannesburg Obs.
Discovery date	22 July 1935
Designations
MPC designation	(1359) Prieska
Named after	Prieska (South African town)[2]
Alternative designations	1935 OC · A903 UE A917 HA
Minor planet category	main-belt · (outer)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	113.69 yr (41,524 days)
Aphelion	3.3306 AU
Perihelion	2.9053 AU
Semi-major axis	3.1179 AU
Eccentricity	0.0682
Orbital period (sidereal)	5.51 yr (2,011 days)
Mean anomaly	232.56°
Mean motion	0° 10m 44.4s / day
Inclination	11.105°
Longitude of ascending node	64.033°
Argument of perihelion	343.11°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	36.45±9.67 km[4] 46.096±0.136 km[5] 48.491±0.439 km[6] 52.07 km (derived)[3] 52.64±1.07 km[7] 65.86±16.91 km[8]
Geometric albedo	0.03±0.01[8] 0.042±0.002[7] 0.0494 (derived)[3] 0.0570±0.0085[6] 0.059±0.007[5] 0.07±0.03[4]
Spectral type	Tholen = CX:[1] · CX:[3] B–V = 0.710[1] U–B = 0.355[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)	10.3[1][3][6][8] · 10.36[4] · 10.47±0.24[9] · 10.50[7]

Orbit and classification

Prieska orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.9–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 6 months (2,011 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 11° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] In 1903, Prieska was first identified as A903 UE at Heidelberg Observatory, extending the body's observation arc by 32 years prior to its official discovery observation at Johannesburg.^[10]

Physical characteristics

According to the surveys carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission and the Japanese Akari satellite, Prieska measures between 36.45 and 65.86 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.03 and 0.07.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0494 and a diameter of 52.07 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.3.^[3]

Spectral type

In the Tholen taxonomy, Prieska is a rare CX:-subtype, that transitions from the dark C to the X-type asteroids. Only a few asteroids have been assigned this spectral type by Tholen (also see list of CX-type asteroids).

Lightcurves

Photometric lightcurve observations of Prieska at the Australian Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09) in May 2011 and October 2013, respectively, were inconclusive due to insufficient data.^[11][12] As of 2017, the asteroid's rotation period still remains unknown.^[1][3]

Naming

This minor planet was named for the South African town of Prieska, located on the south bank of the Orange River, in the province of the Northern Cape.^[2] The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 123).^[2]