1854 Skvortsov

1854 Skvortsov (prov. designation: 1968 UE₁) is a stony background asteroid and relatively slow rotator from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 October 1968, by Russian astronomer Tamara Smirnova at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj on the Crimean peninsula.^[7] It is named after astronomer Evgenii Skvortsov.^[2]

1854 Skvortsov

Shape model of Skvortsov from its lightcurve
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	T. Smirnova
Discovery site	Crimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date	22 October 1968
Designations
MPC designation	(1854) Skvortsov
Named after	Evgenii Skvortsov (astronomer)[2]
Alternative designations	1968 UE1 · 1962 HC 1964 VC · 1964 XB
Minor planet category	main-belt · (middle)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	54.75 yr (19,999 days)
Aphelion	2.8909 AU
Perihelion	2.1855 AU
Semi-major axis	2.5382 AU
Eccentricity	0.1390
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.04 yr (1,477 days)
Mean anomaly	341.44°
Mean motion	0° 14m 37.32s / day
Inclination	4.8987°
Longitude of ascending node	189.24°
Argument of perihelion	274.19°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	8.97 km (calculated)[3] 9.602±0.095 km[4] 10.265±0.070 km[5]
Synodic rotation period	78.5±0.2 h[6]
Geometric albedo	0.20 (assumed)[3] 0.2031±0.0640[5] 0.252±0.053[4]
Spectral type	S[3]
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.3[5] · 12.6[1][3]

Orbit and classification

The asteroid orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.2–2.9 AU once every 4.04 years (1,477 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] Skvortsov was first observed at Goethe Link Observatory in 1962, when it was identified as 1962 HC, extending the body's observation arc by 6 years prior to its official discovery observation.^[7]

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of Evgenii Skvortsov (1882–1952), an instructor of astronomy in the Simferopol Pedagogical Institute, an active observer of minor planets at the Crimean Simeiz Observatory, and the discoverer of several minor planets, including 1149 Volga, 1167 Dubiago and 1381 Danubia.^[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 June 1975 (M.P.C. 3825).^[8]

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

In March 2006, a rotational lightcurve for Skvortsov was obtained from photometric observations made by American astronomer Brian D. Warner at his Palmer Divide Observatory in Colorado. It gave a rotation period of 78.5 hours with a brightness variation of 0.56 magnitude (U=2).^[6] This is a rather slow rotation rate compared to the average asteroid spin of 2–20 hours.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Skvortsov measures between 9.60 and 10.27 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.203 to 0.252.^[4][5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 8.97 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.6.^[3]