2867 Šteins
2867 Šteins (provisional designation 1969 VC) is an irregular, diamond-shaped background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 4 November 1969 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnij on the Crimean peninsula. In September 2008, ESA's spacecraft Rosetta flew by Šteins, making it one of few minor planets ever visited by a spacecraft. The bright E-type asteroid features 23 named craters and has a rotation period of 6.05 hours. It was named for Soviet Latvian astronomer Kārlis Šteins.
Šteins imaged by Rosetta | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | N. Chernykh |
| Discovery site | Crimean Astrophysical Obs. |
| Discovery date | 4 November 1969 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (2867) Šteins |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsteɪns/ |
Named after | Kārlis Šteins |
Alternative designations |
|
Minor planet category | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 66.47 yr (24,279 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.7081 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.0185 AU |
Semi-major axis | 2.3633 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1459 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 3.63 yr (1,327 d) |
Mean anomaly | 182.24° |
Mean motion | 0° 16m 16.68s / day |
| Inclination | 9.9354° |
Longitude of ascending node | 55.366° |
| 251.08° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 6.83 km × 5.70 km × 4.42 km |
Mean diameter | 4.92±0.40 km 5.160±0.167 km |
Synodic rotation period | 6.049 h |
| 0.300 0.34 0.40 | |
| E V–R = 0.510±0.030 | |
| 12.7 13.36 13.36±0.07 | |
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