1728 Goethe Link: An Overview
1728 Goethe Link, officially designated 1964 TO, is a stony asteroid located in the central region of the asteroid belt. With an approximate diameter of 16 kilometers, it is classified as a relatively slow rotator.
Discovery
Discovered on 12 October 1964 by Indiana University during its Indiana Asteroid Program at the Goethe Link Observatory in Brooklyn, Indiana, United States, this asteroid honors American philanthropist Goethe Link, the founder of the observatory.
Orbit and Classification
Goethe Link orbits the Sun in the central main-belt, traveling at a distance of 2.3–2.8 AU and completing an orbit approximately every 4 years and 1 month (1,499 days). Its orbit features an eccentricity of 0.09 and an inclination of 7° relative to the ecliptic. The asteroid was first identified as 1943 OA at Heidelberg Observatory in 1943, extending its observation arc by 21 years prior to its official discovery.
Physical Characteristics
Goethe Link is characterized as a common S-type asteroid.
Rotation Period
In October 2005, a rotational lightcurve of Goethe Link was obtained by French amateur astronomer Laurent Bernasconi, revealing a lengthy rotation period of 81 hours with a brightness variation of 0.39 magnitude (U=2).
Diameter and Albedo
Surveys conducted by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA’s Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer (NEOWISE mission) measured Goethe Link’s diameter at 14.58 km and 18.18 km, respectively. Its surface has an albedo of 0.194 and 0.251. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and estimates a diameter of 15.60 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 11.4.
Naming
This minor planet was named in memory of Dr. Goethe Link, an Indianapolis surgeon and philanthropist. An enthusiastic amateur astronomer, Dr. Link constructed the Goethe Link Observatory in the late 1930s and generously donated it to Indiana University in 1948. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 15 July 1968 (M.P.C. 2882).