17246 Christophedumas

17246 Christophedumas
Synodic rotation period	10 h
Geometric albedo	0.21
Spectral type	S
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.9

17246 Christophedumas (

provisional designation 2000 GL₇₄) is a stony Koronian asteroid and binary system from the outer regions of the asteroid belt

, approximately 4.6 kilometers in diameter.

It was discovered on 5 April 2000, by the

Lincoln Laboratory's Experimental Test Site near Socorro, New Mexico, United States.^[3] It was named after planetary scientist Christophe Dumas. The asteroid's minor-planet moon was discovered in 2004.^[5]

Orbit and classification

Christophedumas is a member of the Koronis family, which is named after 158 Koronis. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.8–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 9 months (1,748 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.02 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.^[1] The asteroid's observation arc begins 29 years prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in April 1971.^[3]

Close approach with Juno

On 9 January 2129, Christophedumas will come within 3,639,998 kilometers of 3 Juno, one of the largest asteroids in the main-belt, and will pass it with a relative velocity of 6.597 km/s.^[1]

Physical characteristics

Christophedumas is a presumed stony

albedo of 0.21, it is more reflective than most asteroids in the outer main-belt.^[5] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts an albedo of 0.21 and calculates a diameter of 4.81 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 13.9.^[4]

In December 2007, a rotational

U=n.a.).^[8] The team of astronomers also ruled out that Christophedumas might be an Escaping Ejecta Binary (EEB), that are thought to be created by fragments ejected from a disruptive impact event.^[8]

Moon

In 2004, a

semi-major axis of 228 kilometers.^[6]^[7]

From the surface of Christophedumas, the moon would have an apparent diameter of about 0.668°, slightly larger than the Moon appears from Earth.^[b]

Naming

This

M.P.C. 100606).^[9]^[10]

Notes

^ ^a ^b IAUC 8293, S/2004 (17246) 1: reports the discovery on Jan. 14.9 UT, on six direct images (two sets of three images taken 20 min apart in time) made with the Hubble Space Telescope (+ ACS/HRC), of a satellite of minor planet (17246) 2000 GL_74 (V about 18.5). The satellite is clearly separated from the primary in five images. On Jan. 14.9195, the satellite was at separation 0".16 (projected separation 230 km) in p.a. 280 deg. Using the average albedo of the Koronis family (about 0.21), to which (17246) belongs, the size of the primary is estimated to be 4.5 km. The brightness difference is about 2 mag, giving an estimated diameter of the secondary of about 2 km.
Reported by: P. M. Tamblyn, Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) and Binary Astronomy; W. J. Merline, C. R. Chapman, D. Nesvorny, and D. D. Durda, SwRI; C. Dumas, Jet Propulsion Laboratory; A. D. Storrs, Towson University; L. M. Close, University of Arizona; and F. Menard, Observatoire de Grenoble
^ Calculated by solving ${\textstyle \tan \left({\frac {\theta }{2}}\right)={\frac {\text{radius of moon}}{\text{distance from surface of asteroid to center of moon}}}}$ .