4337 Arecibo
4337 Arecibo (prov. designation: 1985 GB) is a binary asteroid in the outer regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 24 kilometers (15 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 14 April 1985, by American astronomer Edward Bowell at the Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona, in the United States. It was named after the Arecibo Observatory in Puerto Rico. It has a relatively large minor-planet moon that was discovered in stellar occultation observations by David Gault and Peter Nosworthy in May 2021, distinguishing it as the first asteroid moon discovered and confirmed solely using the occultation method.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Bowell |
| Discovery site | Anderson Mesa Stn. |
| Discovery date | 14 April 1985 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (4337) Arecibo |
Named after | Arecibo Observatory |
Alternative designations | 1933 HE · 1979 FR3 1979 HG2 · 1985 GB |
Minor planet category | main-belt · (outer) Themis |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 9 August 2022 (JD 2459800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 88.42 yr (32,295 d) |
| Earliest precovery date | 24 April 1933 |
| Aphelion | 3.5626 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.9702 AU |
Semi-major axis | 3.2664 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.0907 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 5.90 yr (2,156 d) |
Mean anomaly | 104.049° |
Mean motion | 0° 10m 1.041s / day |
| Inclination | 2.2131° |
Longitude of ascending node | 41.175° |
| 183.07° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
Mean diameter | 24.4±0.6 km (primary): 4 |
Mean density | <1.3 g/cm3: 17 |
Synodic rotation period | 32.972823 h (Gaia DR3): 16 32.85±0.38 h |
Pole ecliptic latitude | 60°±3°: 16 |
Pole ecliptic longitude | 261°±3°: 16 |
| 0.077±0.004 0.06±0.02 | |
| 11.9±0.1 · 12.45 12.52 | |
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