1807 Slovakia, provisional designation 1971 QA, is a stony asteroid and slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 20 August 1971, by Slovak astronomer Milan Antal at Skalnaté pleso Observatory in the High Tatras mountains of Slovakia and named after the Slovak Republic.[2][9]

1807 Slovakia
Discovery[1]
Discovered byM. Antal
Discovery siteSkalnaté Pleso Obs.
Discovery date20 August 1971
Designations
(1807) Slovakia
Named after
Slovakia (country)[2]
1971 QA · 1928 UE
1948 UC · 1951 JA
1951 QK · 1954 NA
1960 GB · 1971 TM1
main-belt · (inner)[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc87.74 yr (32,046 days)
Aphelion2.6229 AU
Perihelion1.8289 AU
2.2259 AU
Eccentricity0.1784
3.32 yr (1,213 days)
283.80°
0° 17m 48.48s / day
Inclination3.4919°
236.35°
140.53°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions9.135±0.092 km[4]
9.146±0.059 km[5]
9.40 km (calculated)[3]
24 h (dated)[6]
308.0±0.3 h[7]
308.6 h[3]
0.20 (assumed)[3]
0.3058±0.0411[5]
0.309±0.073[4]
SMASS = S[1] · S[3]
12.1[5] · 12.5[1][3] · 12.61[7] · 13.06±0.93[8]

Orbit and classification

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The asteroid orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,213 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

It was first identified as 1928 UE at Heidelberg Observatory in 1928, extending the body's observation arc by 43 years prior to its official discovery observation at Skalnaté pleso.[9]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS classification, Slovakia is a common stony S-type asteroid.[1]

Slow rotator

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Slovakia has an exceptionally long rotation period of 308 hours with a high brightness variation of 1.10 magnitude (U=3-).[7] The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (CALL) adopts a period of 308.6 hours with an amplitude of 1.1 magnitude.[3]

Diameter and albedo

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According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Slovakia measures 9.14 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.31,[4][5] while CALL assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 9.40 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.5[3]

Naming

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This minor planet was named in honor of the now independent state of Slovakia (Slovak Republic), the country where the discovering observatory is located. At the time Slovakia was still part of the socialistic republic of Czechoslovakia that was formed after World War I and lasted until the end of the Cold War (also see 2315 Czechoslovakia).[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 June 1973 (M.P.C. 3508).[10]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 1807 Slovakia (1971 QA)" (2016-07-13 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 3 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(1807) Slovakia". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (1807) Slovakia. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 145. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_1808. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h "LCDB Data for (1807) Slovakia". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  4. ^ a b c 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 15 December 2016.
  5. ^ 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.
  6. ^ Behrend, Raoul. "Asteroids and comets rotation curves – (1807) Slovakia". Geneva Observatory. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  7. ^ a b c Galad, Adrian; Kornos, Leonard; Husarik, Marek (October 2009). "The Very Long Sidereal Period of 1807 Slovakia". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 36 (4): 149–151. Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..149G. ISSN 1052-8091. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  8. ^ 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 15 December 2016.
  9. ^ a b "1807 Slovakia (1971 QA)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 15 December 2016.
  10. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2009). "Appendix – Publication Dates of the MPCs". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – Addendum to Fifth Edition (2006–2008). Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 221. doi:10.1007/978-3-642-01965-4. ISBN 978-3-642-01964-7.
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