Asteroids with Satellites Database--Johnston's Archive

(2280) Kunikov

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 21 March 2024

--Orbital and physical data--

(See this page for definitions of quantities; source codes in brackets, see this link for full references; *A, *D, and *E indicate assumed, derived, and estimated values, respectively.)

dynamical type, primary: main belt asteroid


orbital data, primary (osculating elements) [JPL] :
semimajor axis a: 2.1787354931 AU
orbital period P: 3.21599203824 yr
(= 1174.64109197 d)
eccentricity e: 0.14138298704
perihelion distance q: 1.8706993611 AU
aphelion distance Q: 2.48677162512 AU
inclination i: 3.569034318°
argument of perihelion ω: 264.2610964°
ascending node Ω: 106.45794475°
mean anomaly M: 51.46810783°
perihelion passage TP: 2023 Mar 29.06512671
Epoch: 2023 Sep 13
data arc: 1957-2024 (4292 obs.)
Earth MOID: 0.873564 AU
Jupiter Tisserand invariant TJ: 3.667


orbital data, secondary:
semimajor axis as: 11 km [*E]
separation/primary radius as/rp:4.7 [*E]
separation/Hill radius as/rH:0.014 [*E]
orbital period Ps: 0.89496 ± 0.00012 d [B24b]
eccentricity es: ?
normalized ang. mom. αL: ?

other data, system (combined):
absolute mag. H: 13.46 [MPC]
slope parameter G: (0.15) [*A]
effective diameter dE: 6.14 ± 0.14 km [M19a]
geometric albedo: 0.27 ± 0.042 [M19a]
color index U-B: ?
color index B-V: ?
color index J-H:0.483 ± 0.03 [S10b]
taxonomic type: Sa (SMASSII) [JPL]
mass m: ?
density ρ: (1.6 g/cm3) [*A]
Hill radius rH: 800 km [*E]

other data, primary:
diameter dp: 4.63 km [*D]
rotation period RPp: 21.479 ± 0.003 h [B24b]
amplitude in mag., rotational ΔM: 0.45 [B24b]
amplitude in mag., mutual events ΔM:0.685 ±0.075 [B24b]
pole direction Β, λ: ? , ?


other data, secondary:
diameter ds: >4.03 km [*D]
diameter ratio ds/dp: >0.87 [B24b]
component mag. difference ΔM: <0.30 [*D]
rotation period RPs: 21.479 ± 0.003 h [B24b]

-- (2280) Kunikov --discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 1971 Sep 26 from Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Ukraine, USSR by T. M. Smirnova. Alternate designation(s): 1971 SL2, 1970 GY1. Linked to prediscovery observations from 1957 Apr 28. Permanent number assigned 1980 Aug 01.

Named 1981 Jun 01 for Tzezar’ L’vovich Kunikov (1909-1943) [MPC006059].

Companion discovered 2023 Dec 04 by V. Benishek, P. Pravec, H. Kucakova, K. Hornoch, M. Husarik, M. Pikler, D. Tomko, M. Kovacova, and R. Durkee using lightcurve observations from Sopot Observatory, Serbia; Ondrejov Observatory, Czech Republic; Skalnate Pleso Observatory; Shed of Science South Observatory, Pontotoc, Texas, USA. Announced 2024 Mar 21 [B24b].

--Links, more technical:

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--Links to ADS abstracts:


© 2024, 2024 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 21 March 2024.
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