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1428 Mombasa

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1428 Mombasa, provisional designation 1937 NO, is a dark asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 56 kilometers in diameter.

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It was discovered on 5 July 1937, by English-born South African astronomer Cyril Jackson at Johannesburg Observatory, South Africa, and later named after Mombasa, Kenya.[2][14]

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Orbit and classification

Mombasa orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.4–3.2 AU once every 4 years and 9 months (1,720 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 17° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Mombasa was first identified as 1933 WO at Lowell Observatory, extending the body's observation arc by 4 years prior to its official discovery at Johannesburg.[14]

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

American astronomer Robert Stephens obtained a rotational lightcurve of Mombasa in June 2012. Light-curve analysis gave a rotation period of 16.67 hours with a brightness variation of 0.16 magnitude (U=2+).[a] Previous lightcurves were obtained by French amateur astronomer René Roy in February 2006 (17.6 hours, Δ0.15 mag; U=2),[12] as well as by Scot Hawkins and Richard Ditteon at Oakley Observatory in May 2007 (17.12 hours, Δ0.25 mag; U=2).[11]

Spectral type, diameter and albedo

On the SMASS taxonomic scheme, Mombasa is a Xc-type, an intermediate between the carbonaceous C and X-type, while it is also described as a darker P-type asteroid.[10] 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, Mombasa measures between 52.46 and 62.45 kilometers in diameter, ignoring a preliminary result of 127 km,[10] and its surface has an albedo of 0.025 and 0.06.[3][4][5][6][8][9] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0415 and a diameter of 56.83 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 10.3.[7]

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Naming

This minor planet was named after Mombasa, chief-port and second largest city of Kenya on the coast of East Africa.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center in April 1953 (M.P.C. 909).[15]

Notes

  1. Stephens (2012) web: rotation period 16.67±0.01 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.16 mag. Notes: "A half-period of 8.38 h cannot be formally excluded". Summary figures at Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) for (1428) Mombasa

References

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