13003 Dickbeasley, provisional designation 1982 FN, is a background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 6 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by American astronomer Edward Bowell at Lowell's Anderson Mesa Station on 21 March 1982.[2] The asteroid was named in memory of American NAU administrator Dick Beasley.[2]
Orbit and classification
Dickbeasley is a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population. It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.0–3.1 AU once every 4 years and 1 month (1,495 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 27° with respect to the ecliptic.[1] The body's observation arc begins with its official discovery observation, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.[2]
Naming
This minor planet was named in memory of American Richard "Dick" E. Beasley (1934–1992), a teacher and administrator at Northern Arizona University. He was also a multi-media artist and a preeminent figure in the calligraphic world.[2] The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 9 February 2009 (M.P.C. 65122).[10]
Physical characteristics
Rotation period
In April 2015, a rotational lightcurve of Dickbeasley was obtained from photometric observations made at the Phillips Academy Observatory (I12). It gave a rotation period of 3.502 hours with a brightness variation of 0.44 magnitude (U=3-).[8] One month later, in May 2015, observations at Texas Tech's Preston Gott Observatory gave a concurring period of 3.4999 hours with an amplitude of 0.30 magnitude (U=3-).[7]
These results supersede the first obtained lightcurve at the Palomar Transient Factory from September 2012, which gave a period of 3.4992 hours and an amplitude of 0.42 (U=2).[6]
Diameter and albedo
According to the surveys carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Dickbeasley measures 8.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.07,[4][5] while he Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for stony asteroids of 0.20 and calculates a diameter of 5.4 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.7.[3]
