1450 Raimonda

1450 Raimonda, provisional designation 1938 DP, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 February 1938, by astronomer Yrjö Väisälä at the Iso-Heikkilä Observatory in Turku, Finland.^[12] The asteroid was named after Dutch astronomer Jean Jacques Raimond, Jr.^[2]

1450 Raimonda

Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Raimonda
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	Y. Väisälä
Discovery site	Turku Obs.
Discovery date	20 February 1938
Designations
MPC designation	(1450) Raimonda
Named after	Jean Jacques Raimond, Jr.[2] (Dutch astronomer)
Alternative designations	1938 DP · 1934 GJ A915 TF
Minor planet category	main-belt · (middle)[3] background[4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	101.96 yr (37,242 days)
Aphelion	3.0591 AU
Perihelion	2.1642 AU
Semi-major axis	2.6117 AU
Eccentricity	0.1713
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.22 yr (1,542 days)
Mean anomaly	351.45°
Mean motion	0° 14m 0.6s / day
Inclination	4.8635°
Longitude of ascending node	74.927°
Argument of perihelion	13.427°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	14.75 km (derived)[3] 14.76±4.56 km[5] 14.88±0.9 km[6] 18.481±0.084 km[7] 18.700±0.068 km[8] 20.80±1.15 km[9]
Synodic rotation period	12.6344 h[10] 12.66 h[11]
Geometric albedo	0.074±0.009[9] 0.0878±0.0170[8] 0.09±0.10[5] 0.094±0.019[7] 0.0976 (derived)[3] 0.1387±0.019[6]
Spectral type	S (assumed)[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	11.90[6][8][9] · 12.30[1][3][5]

Orbit and classification

Raimonda is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population.^[4] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.2–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 3 months (1,542 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1]

The body's observation arc begins with its first identification as A915 TF at Heidelberg Observatory in October 1915, more than 22 years prior to its official discovery observation at Turku.^[12]

Physical characteristics

Raimonda is an assumed stony S-type asteroid,^[3] despite its rather low albedo.

Rotation period and poles

In December 2004, a rotational lightcurve of Raimonda was obtained from photometric observations at the Oakley (916) and Tenagra Observatory (848). Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 12.66 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.64 (or 0.57 at LCDB) magnitude (U=2), indicative of an elongated shape.^[11]

In 2013, a lightcurve was modeled from photometric data collected by the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue, the Palomar Transient Factory survey, and individual observers, as well as sparse-in-time photometry from the United States Naval Observatory Flagstaff Station, the Catalina Sky Survey in Tucson, and the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory at La Palma. Modelling gave a similar period 12.6344 hours. The study also determined two spin axis of (231.0°, −56.0°) and (71.0°, −60.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).^[10]

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Raimonda measures between 14.76 and 20.80 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.074 and 0.1387.^{[5][6][7][8][9]}

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0976 and a diameter of 14.75 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.3.^[3]

Naming

This minor planet was named after Jean Jacques Raimond, Jr. (1903–1961), a Dutch astronomer who was the president of the Dutch Astronomical Society (Dutch: Nederlandse Vereniging voor Weer- en Sterrenkunde; Netherlands Association for Meteorology and Astronomy) and director of the Zeiss planetarium at The Hague.^[2]

The naming was suggested by Belgian astronomer Jean Meeus, and the official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1965 (M.P.C. 2347).^[13] The lunar crater Raimond was also named in his honor.^[2]