Asteroid
2675 Tolkien, provisional designation 1982 GB, is a stony Florian asteroid and extremely slow rotator from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately in diameter. It was discovered on 14 April 1982, by British astronomer Martin Watt at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, and later named for J. R. R. Tolkien.
Orbit and classification.
"Tolkien" is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest groups of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of once every 3 years and 3 months (1,202 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.10 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.
Physical characteristics.
In the SMASS classification, "Tolkien" is a stony S-type asteroid.
Rotation period.
In February 2011, photometric observations of "Tolkien" were taken over the course of twenty-three nights. The obtained light curve revealed that the body is potentially an extremely slow rotator, that has an outstandingly long rotation period of hours, or 44 days, with a brightness amplitude of magnitude (). In addition, the body is suspected to be in a non-principal axis rotation ("tumbling").
Diameter and albedo.
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, the body measures , and its surface has an albedo of 0.205 and 0.213, respectively, while the "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the largest member and namesake of this orbital family – and calculates a diameter of with an absolute magnitude of 12.2.
Naming.
This minor planet was named in honour of J. R. R. Tolkien (1892–1973), an English writer, philologist, and Merton professor of English language at the University of Oxford. He is best known as the author of the fantasy novels "The Hobbit" and "The Lord of the Rings". Tolkien also had a lifelong interest in astronomy. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 December 1982 (M.P.C. 7474).
References.
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