15017 Cuppy

15017 Cuppy
Cuppy view from Auburn, Indiana, using a 40.5 cm RCOS telescope in July 2004
Discovery[1]
Discovered byLONEOS
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date22 September 1998
Designations
(15017) Cuppy
Named after
Will Cuppy
(American humorist)[2]
1998 SS25
main-belt · (inner)
Flora
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc25.30 yr (9,242 days)
Aphelion2.7011 AU
Perihelion1.9517 AU
2.3264 AU
Eccentricity0.1611
3.55 yr (1,296 days)
94.456°
0° 16m 40.08s / day
Inclination6.2109°
63.826°
347.85°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions1.795±0.226[3]
2 km (estimated at 0.25)[4]
0.500±0.219[3]
15.6[1]

15017 Cuppy, provisional designation 1998 SS25, is a Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 22 September 1998, by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search (LONEOS) at its Anderson Mesa Station, Arizona, United States.[5] The asteroid was named for American humorist Will Cuppy.[2]

Orbit and classification

Cuppy orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 2.0–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,296 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins 7 years prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in October 1991.[5]

Physical characteristics

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Cuppy measures 1.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.50.[3] This is in line with a generic absolute magnitude-to-diameter conversion, which gives a diameter of approximately 2 kilometers for an absolute magnitude of 15.6 and an assumed albedo of 0.2 to 0.25, which is typical for stony asteroids of the inner asteroid belt.[4] As of 2017, Cuppy's composition, rotation period and shape remain unknown.[1][6]

Naming

This minor planet was named in memory of American literary critic and humorist, Will Cuppy (1884–1949). He is known for his satirical books The Decline and Fall of Practically Everybody, How to Attract the Wombat, How to Become Extinct and How to Tell Your Friends from the Apes. The name was proposed by M. Walter. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 10 September 2003 (M.P.C. 49675).[2][7]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 15017 Cuppy (1998 SS25)" (2017-02-01 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 July 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2006). "(15017) Cuppy [2.33, 0.16, 6.2]". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (15017) Cuppy, Addendum to Fifth Edition: 2003–2005. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. pp. 89–90. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-34361-5_910. ISBN 978-3-540-34361-5.
  3. ^ 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 3 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b "Absolute Magnitude (H)". NASA/JPL. Archived from the original on 2 March 2001. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  5. ^ a b "15017 Cuppy (1998 SS25)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 5 April 2016.
  6. ^ "LCDB Data for (15017) Cuppy". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 25 June 2017.
  7. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 20 May 2016.