1452 Hunnia: An Overview
1452 Hunnia, with the provisional designation 1938 DZ1, is a carbonaceous Meliboean asteroid located in the outer regions of the asteroid belt. It has a diameter of approximately 20 kilometers and was discovered on 26 February 1938 by the Hungarian astronomer György Kulin at the Konkoly Observatory in Budapest. This asteroid is named in honor of the Hungarian nation.
Orbit and Classification
Hunnia is classified as a member of the Meliboea family (604), a smaller group comprising a few hundred carbonaceous asteroids located in the outer belt, named after 137 Meliboea. It orbits the Sun at a distance ranging from 2.5–3.7 AU and completes one orbit every 5 years and 6 months (equivalent to 2,003 days). Its orbit features an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 14° with respect to the ecliptic plane.
The observation arc for this body began at the Goethe Link Observatory in March 1949, over 11 years following its initial discovery, coinciding with the period during World War II when astrometric follow-up observations were limited.
Physical Characteristics
Hunnia is presumed to be a C-type carbonaceous asteroid, which aligns with the general spectral classification of the Meliboea family.
Rotation Period
In 1998, between February and March, a rotational lightcurve of Hunnia was obtained through photometric observations conducted by Hungarian astronomers Krisztián Sárneczky, Gyula Szabó, and László Kiss. The lightcurve analysis revealed a rotation period of 17.2 hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.34 magnitude (U=2). Since then, no additional lightcurves have been reported.
Diameter and Albedo
According to the NEOWISE mission conducted by NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Hunnia measures between 18.76 and 20.91 kilometers in diameter, with a surface albedo ranging from 0.0435 to 0.06. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057, estimating Hunnia’s diameter to be 21.16 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.1.
Naming
This minor planet was named to honor the Hungarian nation. The Hungarians, also known as Magyars, are believed to have cultural and historical ties to the Hunnic heritage. The official naming citation was released by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1980 (M.P.C. 5182).
References
- Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine)
- Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google Books
- Asteroids and Comets Rotation Curves, CdR – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend
- Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
- 1452 Hunnia at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 1452 Hunnia at the JPL Small-Body Database