24105 Broughton

Orbit and classification

Broughton is non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population, located near the region occupied by the Flora family, one of the largest clans of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.2–2.4 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,308 days; semi-major axis of 2.34 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.04 and an inclination of 7° with respect to the ecliptic.

The asteroid was first observed as at the Japanese Tajimi Observatory in January 1997, where its observation arc begins in the following month, about 2 years prior to the asteroid's official discovery observation at Fountain Hills.

Naming

This minor planet was named in honor of Australian amateur astronomer John Broughton (born 1952), a prolific discoverer of minor planets who received a "Shoemaker NEO Grant" in 2002. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 26 November 2004 (M.P.C. 53176).

Physical characteristics

Lightcurves

In October 2013, a rotational lightcurve of Broughton was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of hours with a brightness variation of 0.34 magnitude ().

Diameter and albedo

The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the family's largest member and namesake – and calculates a diameter of 3.65 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 14.36.

References