(2044) Wirt

D. Pray, Carbuncle Hill Observatory, Greene, RI; P. Pravec and P. Kusnirak, Ondrejov Observatory; W. Cooney, J. Gross, and D. Terrell, Sonoita Research Observatory, Sonoita, AZ; A. Galad, S. Gajdos, and J. Vilagi, Modra Observatory; and R. Durkee, Minneapolis, MN, report that photometric observations obtained during 2005 Dec. 8-29 reveal that minor planet (2044) is a binary system with an orbital period of 18.97 +/- 0.01 hr. The primary rotates with a period of 3.6898 +/- 0.0001 hr, and its lightcurve amplitude is 0.26 mag. Mutual eclipse/occultations events that are 0.07- to 0.15-mag deep indicate a secondary-to-primary mean-diameter ratio of 0.25 +/- 0.02.