1163 Saga, provisional designation 1930 BA, is a background asteroid from the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 January 1930, by astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany.[12] The asteroid was named after the Sagas, a collection of stories from Norse mythology.[2]

1163 Saga
Discovery[1]
Discovered byK. Reinmuth
Discovery siteHeidelberg Obs.
Discovery date20 January 1930
Designations
(1163) Saga
Named after
Sagas
(Norse mythological stories)[2]
1930 BA
main-belt · (outer)[1][3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc87.49 yr (31,955 days)
Aphelion3.3672 AU
Perihelion3.0768 AU
3.2220 AU
Eccentricity0.0451
5.78 yr (2,112 days)
237.48°
0° 10m 13.44s / day
Inclination9.0146°
127.72°
197.44°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions26.29±0.68 km[4]
29.11±1.7 km[3][5]
32.429±0.261 km[6]
33.94±0.87 km[7]
38.113±0.547 km[8]
9.278±0.001 h[9]
9.365±0.006 h[9]
9.394±0.0192 h[10]
0.0640±0.0067[8]
0.097±0.006[7]
0.1199 (derived)[3]
0.1200±0.015[5]
0.147±0.020[4]
S(assumed)[3]
10.548±0.003 (R)[10] · 10.60[3][4][5][7] · 10.7[1][8] · 11.18±0.28[11]

Orbit and classification

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Saga is a background that does not belong to any known asteroid family. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 3.1–3.4 AU once every 5 years and 9 months (2,112 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg, six weeks after its official discovery observation.[12]

Physical characteristics

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Saga is an assumed S-type asteroid,[3] with a large range of measured albedos indicating otherwise (see below).

Rotation period

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Since 2006, three rotational lightcurves of Saga were obtained from photometric observations by French amateur astronomers Laurent Bernasconi and René Roy, as well as by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period between 9.278 and 9.394 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.25 to 0.33 magnitude (U=2 /3-/2).[9][10]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Saga measures between 26.29 and 38.113 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.0640 and 0.147.[4][5][6][7][8]

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1199 and adopts a diameter of 29.11 kilometers from IRAS with an absolute magnitude of 10.6.[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after the Sagas, a collection of prose Norse mythological stories of ancient Scandinavian and Germanic history. It includes the early Viking voyages and is mostly written in Old Icelandic (Old Norse). The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 108).[2]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1163 Saga (1930 BA)" (2017-07-02 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Archived from the original on 19 August 2020. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1163) Saga". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1163) Saga. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 98. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1164. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g "LCDB Data for (1163) Saga". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  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 7 September 2017.
  5. ^ a b c d Tedesco, E. F.; Noah, P. V.; Noah, M.; Price, S. D. (October 2004). "IRAS Minor Planet Survey V6.0". NASA Planetary Data System. 12: IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Bibcode:2004PDSS...12.....T. Retrieved 22 October 2019.
  6. ^ a b 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 7 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b c d Usui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey". Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan. 63 (5): 1117–1138. Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U. doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online, AcuA catalog p. 153)
  8. ^ 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.
  9. ^ a b c Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1163) Saga". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  10. ^ a b c Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
  11. ^ 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 7 September 2017.
  12. ^ a b "1163 Saga (1930 BA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 7 September 2017.
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