6216 San Jose

6216 San Jose, provisional designation 1975 SJ, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 8 kilometers (5 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 30 September 1975, by American astronomer Schelte Bus at the Palomar Observatory. The asteroid was named for the city of San Jose in California.^[1]

6216 San Jose

Discovery[1]
Discovered by	S. J. Bus
Discovery site	Palomar Obs.
Discovery date	30 September 1975
Designations
MPC designation	(6216) San Jose
Named after	San Jose[1] (City in California)
Alternative designations	1975 SJ · 1975 VH2 1984 SV4 · 1989 VG
Minor planet category	main-belt[1][2] · (middle) background[3]
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	62.86 yr (22,961 d)
Aphelion	3.0346 AU
Perihelion	2.4719 AU
Semi-major axis	2.7533 AU
Eccentricity	0.1022
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.57 yr (1,669 d)
Mean anomaly	68.316°
Mean motion	0° 12m 56.52s / day
Inclination	3.7717°
Longitude of ascending node	30.489°
Argument of perihelion	27.604°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	8.033±0.149 km[4]
Geometric albedo	0.208±0.024[4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.0[2]

Orbit and classification

San Jose is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.^[3] It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.5–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 7 months (1,669 days; semi-major axis of 2.75 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.^[2] The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar in April 1954.^[1]

Physical characteristics

San Jose's spectral type is unknown.^[2] Based on its albedo (see below), it is likely a stony S-type asteroid. It has an absolute magnitude of 13.0.^[2]

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, San Jose measures 8.033 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.208.^[4]

Rotation period

As of 2018, no rotational lightcurve of San Jose has been obtained from photometric observations. The body's rotation period, pole and shape remain unknown.^[2]

Naming

This minor planet was named for the city of San Jose, California, United States, for its long support of nearby Lick Observatory particularly in efforts to reduce light pollution.^[5] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 14 December 1997 (M.P.C. 31024).^[6]