2159 Kukkamäki, provisional designation 1941 UX, is a stony asteroid from the inner region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 16 October 1941, by Finnish astronomer Liisi Oterma at Turku Observatory in Southwest Finland.[10] It was later named after Finnish geodesist Tauno Kukkamäki.[2]

2159 Kukkamaki
Discovery [1]
Discovered byL. Oterma
Discovery siteTurku Obs.
Discovery date16 October 1941
Designations
(2159) Kukkamaki
Named after
Tauno Kukkamäki (geodesist)[2]
1941 UX · 1929 TL
1933 UU1 · 1935 EL
1939 FS · 1949 WM
1951 GG1 · 1970 EB
1974 CD1 · 1978 EB
main-belt · (inner)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc87.58 yr (31,989 days)
Aphelion2.5808 AU
Perihelion2.3847 AU
2.4827 AU
Eccentricity0.0395
3.91 yr (1,429 days)
75.776°
0° 15m 6.84s / day
Inclination3.2676°
351.15°
122.78°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions9.86±1.04 km[4]
11.30 km (derived)[3]
11.494±0.121[5]
12.143±0.176 km[6]
3.4 h[7] (outdated)
4.06 h[8]
0.1743±0.0290[6]
0.193±0.025[5]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
0.337±0.253[4]
B–V = 0.870[1]
S (assumed)[8] · S[3]
11.77±0.11[9] · 11.83[4] · 12.07[1] · 12.1[3][6][8]

Orbit and classification

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Kukkamäki is a stony S-type asteroid. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.4–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 11 months (1,429 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.04 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] Kukkamäki was first identified as 1929 TL at Lowell Observatory in 1929, extending the body's observation arc by 12 prior to its official discovery observation.[10]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Kukkamäki measures between 9.86 and 12.14 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.193 and 0.337,[4][5][6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and derives a diameter of 11.30 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.1.[3]

Lightcurve

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During an asteroid survey conducted at McDonald Observatory and CTIO in the 1980s, a rotational lightcurve of Kukkamäki was obtained by astronomer Richard Binzel. The photoelectric observation gave a well-defined rotation period of 4.06 hours with a brightness variation of 0.32 magnitude (U=3), superseding a previous result based on a fragmentary lightcurve.[8]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after Finnish geodesist Tauno Kukkamäki (1909–1997), who was the director of the Finnish Geodetic Institute for many years and the president of the International Association of Geodesy. He was also a distinguished disciple of Yrjö Väisälä.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 November 1979 (M.P.C. 5014).[11]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2159 Kukkamaki (1941 UX)" (2017-05-05 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2159) Kukkamäki". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2159) Kukkamäki. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 175. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2160. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "LCDB Data for (2159) Kukkamäki". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c d Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids". The Astrophysical Journal Letters. 759 (1): 5. arXiv:1209.5794. Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M. doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  5. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Grav, T.; Mainzer, A. K.; Nugent, C. R.; Bauer, J. M.; Stevenson, R.; et al. (August 2014). "Main-belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE: Near-infrared Albedos". The Astrophysical Journal. 791 (2): 11. arXiv:1406.6645. Bibcode:2014ApJ...791..121M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/791/2/121. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  6. ^ a b c d Mainzer, A.; Grav, T.; Masiero, J.; Hand, E.; Bauer, J.; Tholen, D.; et al. (November 2011). "NEOWISE Studies of Spectrophotometrically Classified Asteroids: Preliminary Results". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 25. arXiv:1109.6407. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...90M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/90.
  7. ^ Lagerkvist, C.-I.; Sjolander, N.-G. (December 1978). "Photographic photometry of asteroids with Schmidt telescopes. III – Observations of 11 asteroids during 1977 and 1978". Acta Astronomica. 29 (3): 455–461. Bibcode:1979AcA....29..455L. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  8. ^ a b c d Binzel, R. P. (October 1987). "A photoelectric survey of 130 asteroids". Icarus. 72 (1): 135–208. Bibcode:1987Icar...72..135B. doi:10.1016/0019-1035(87)90125-4. ISSN 0019-1035. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  9. ^ Veres, Peter; Jedicke, Robert; Fitzsimmons, Alan; Denneau, Larry; Granvik, Mikael; Bolin, Bryce; et al. (November 2015). "Absolute magnitudes and slope parameters for 250,000 asteroids observed by Pan-STARRS PS1 – Preliminary results". Icarus. 261: 34–47. arXiv:1506.00762. Bibcode:2015Icar..261...34V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2015.08.007. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  10. ^ a b "2159 Kukkamaki (1941 UX)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
  11. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 13 December 2016.
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