6025 Naotosato

Orbit and classification

Naotosato is a member of the Eos family (606), the largest asteroid family in the outer main belt, consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids.

It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.8–3.2 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,919 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 9° with respect to the ecliptic. The first observation was made at Goethe Link Observatory in 1954, extending the asteroid's observation arc by 38 years prior to its discovery.

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

In September 2009, a rotational lightcurve of Naotosato was obtained from photometric observations by French astronomer René Roy. The fragmentary lightcurve gave a longer-than average rotation period of 10 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.20 in magnitude ().

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Naotosato measures between 18.4 and 20.0 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.148 and 0.188, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.14 and calculates a diameter of 17.8 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 11.5.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Japanese amateur astronomer Naoto Satō (born 1953), by profession a junior high school science teacher and a prolific discoverer of minor planets from his private Chichibu Observatory himself. He has also prediscovered C/1989 Y2, a parabolic comet credited to McKenzie–Russell. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 February 1999 (M.P.C. 33786).

References