2606 Odessa, provisional designation 1976 GX2, is a background asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 16 kilometers (10 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 1 April 1976, by Soviet–Russian astronomer Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij, on the Crimean peninsula.[1] The presumably metallic X- or M-type asteroid has an elongated shape and a rotation period of 8.24 hours.[7] It was named for the Ukrainian city of Odesa.[2]

2606 Odessa
Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Odessa
Discovery [1]
Discovered byN. Chernykh
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date1 April 1976
Designations
(2606) Odessa
Named after
Odesa[2] (city in Ukraine)
1976 GX2 · 1955 VE
main-belt[1][3] · (middle)
background[4]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc62.91 yr (22,979 d)
Aphelion3.4893 AU
Perihelion2.0286 AU
2.7589 AU
Eccentricity0.2647
4.58 yr (1,674 d)
50.837°
0° 12m 54.36s / day
Inclination12.452°
197.31°
353.17°
Physical characteristics
15.910±0.231 km[5][6]
25.44 km (calculated)[7]
8.2426±0.0003 h[8]
8.244±0.002 h[9]
8.2444 h[10]
0.057 (assumed)[7]
0.1753±0.0296[5][6]
SMASS = Xk[3]
X[11] · M[6]
11.5[6] · 11.57±0.21[11]
11.7[3][7]

Orbit and classification

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Odessa is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population.[4] It orbits the Sun in the intermediate asteroid belt at a distance of 2.0–3.5 AU once every 4 years and 7 months (1,674 days; semi-major axis of 2.76 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.26 and an inclination of 12° with respect to the ecliptic.[3]

The body's observation arc begins with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in July 1954, near 22 years prior to its official discovery observation at Nauchnij.[1]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS classification, Odessa is a Xk-subtype that transitions between the X- and K-type asteroids.[3] It has also been characterized as an X-type by Pan-STARRS photometric survey,[11] while it as an M-type asteroid according to the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (WISE).[6]

Rotation period and poles

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In 2008, two rotational lightcurves of Odessa were obtained from photometric observations at the Hunters Hill and Oakley Southern Sky observatories in Australia. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 8.2426 and 8.244 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.80 and 0.72 magnitude, respectively, indicative for a non-spherical shape (U=3/3).[8][9]

In 2016, a modeled lightcurve gave a concurring sidereal period of 8.2444 hours using data from the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue, the Palomar Transient Factory survey, and individual observers (such as above), as well as sparse-in-time photometry from the NOFS, the Catalina Sky Survey, and the La Palma surveys (950). The study also determined two spin axes of (25.0°, −81.0°) and (283.0°, −88.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[10]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's WISE telescope, Odessa measures 15.91 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.175,[5][6] while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a carbonaceous standard albedo of 0.057 and consequently calculates a larger diameter of 25.44 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.7.[7]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after the Ukrainian black Sea port city of Odesa.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 December 1982 (M.P.C. 7472).[12]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d "2606 Odessa (1976 GX2)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2606) Odessa". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (2606) Odessa. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 213. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2607. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2606 Odessa (1976 GX2)" (2017-06-03 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  4. ^ a b "Asteroid 2606 Odessa – Proper Elements". AstDyS-2, Asteroids – Dynamic Site. Retrieved 29 October 2019.
  5. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  6. ^ a b c d e f 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. ^ a b c d e "LCDB Data for (2606) Odessa". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  8. ^ a b Higgins, David; Pravec, Petr; Kusnirak, Peter; Hornoch, Kamil; Brinsfield, James W.; Allen, Bill; et al. (September 2008). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at Hunters Hill Observatory and Collaborating Stations: November 2007 - March 2008". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 35 (3): 123–126. Bibcode:2008MPBu...35..123H. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  9. ^ a b Oliver, Robert Lemke; Shipley, Heath; Ditteon, Richard (October 2008). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory: 2008 March". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 35 (4): 149–150. Bibcode:2008MPBu...35..149O. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
  10. ^ a b Hanuš, J.; Ďurech, J.; Brož, M.; Marciniak, A.; Warner, B. D.; Pilcher, F.; et al. (March 2013). "Asteroids' physical models from combined dense and sparse photometry and scaling of the YORP effect by the observed obliquity distribution". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 551: A67. arXiv:1301.6943. Bibcode:2013A&A...551A..67H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201220701. ISSN 0004-6361.
  11. ^ a b c 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 5 April 2018.
  12. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 April 2018.
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