The rotation, color, phase coefficient, and diameter of 1915 quetzalcoatl
Abstract
Photoelectric observations of 1915 Quetzalcoatl on March 2, 1981 show that this asteroid has a rotational period of 4.9 ± 0.3 hr and a lightcurve amplitude of 0.26 magnitudes. B-V and U-B colors are found to be 0.83 ± 0.04 and 0.43 ± 0.03, respectively, consistent with Quetzalcoatl being an S-type asteroid. Additional observations from March 31, 1981 give a linear phase coefficient of 0.033 mag deg -1 and a mean B(1,0) magnitude of 20.10. The resulting estimated mean diameter for Quetzalcoatl is only 0.37 km, making it one of the smallest asteroids for which physical observations have yet been made.
- Publication:
-
Icarus
- Pub Date:
- September 1983
- DOI:
- 10.1016/0019-1035(83)90118-5
- Bibcode:
- 1983Icar...55..495B
- Keywords:
-
- Asteroids;
- Colorimetry;
- Light Curve;
- Planetary Rotation;
- Ubv Spectra;
- Diameters;
- Electrophotometry;
- Magnitude;
- Phase Shift