1714 Sy

Orbit

Sy orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.2–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,503 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.

It was first identified as at Goethe Link Observatory in 1948, extending the body's observation arc by 3 years prior to its official discovery observation at Algiers.

Physical characteristics

PanSTARRS large-scale survey characterized Sy as a L-type asteroid, a rare subtype which falls into the broader complex of stony S-type asteroids.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Sy measures 13.998 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo of 0.157, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 12.39 kilometers with on an absolute magnitude of 11.9.

Photometry

In March 2012, photometric observations at the Oakley Southern Sky Observatory (E09), Australia, included this asteroid as a target. Due to rain and cloud coverage, no lightcurve could be constructed, and therefore no rotation period could be derived. However the 86 photometric data points allowed to find a maximum brightness variation of 0.95 magnitude (). A high brightness amplitude of 0.95 is a strong indicator, that the body has a non-spheroidal shape. As of 2017, Sys rotation period still remains unknown.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Frédéric Sy, who worked as a human orbit computer and as an assistant astronomer at Algiers and Paris Observatory, respectively. At Algiers Observatory, he observed asteroids and comets and was the first to discoverer a numbered minor planet, 858 El Djezaïr, in 1916. The official was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 August 1978 (M.P.C. 4419).

References