22577 Alfiuccio

22577 Alfiuccio, provisional designation 1998 HT51, is a stony Flora asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2.4 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 30 April 1998, by the Lowell Observatory Near-Earth-Object Search at Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona, United States.[5] It was named in memory of Alfio Grasso, an Italian boy from Sicily.[2]

22577 Alfiuccio
Discovery [1]
Discovered byLONEOS
Discovery siteAnderson Mesa Stn.
Discovery date30 April 1998
Designations
(22577) Alfiuccio
Named after
Alfio "Alfiuccio" Grasso (Italian boy)[2]
1998 HT51 · 1999 UZ8
main-belt · Flora [3]
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc20.11 yr (7,345 days)
Aphelion2.6306 AU
Perihelion1.9499 AU
2.2903 AU
Eccentricity0.1486
3.47 yr (1,266 days)
123.89°
0° 17m 3.84s / day
Inclination3.8671°
65.751°
251.04°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions2.40 km (calculated)[3]
4.3704±0.0024 h[4]
0.24 (assumed)[3]
S [3]
14.8[1] · 14.816±0.010 (R)[4] · 15.27[3]

    Orbit and classification

    Alfiuccio is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of stony asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.6 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,266 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.15 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

    The asteroid's observation arc begins 20 months prior to its official discovery observation, with a precovery taken at the Chinese Xinglong Station in December 1996.[5]

    Physical characteristics

    Lightcurve

    In December 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Alfiuccio was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band at the Palomar Transient Factory, California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 4.3704 hours with a brightness variation of 0.36 magnitude (U=2).[4]

    Diameter and albedo estimate

    The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, the largest member and namesake of its orbital family – and calculates a diameter of 2.4 kilometers, based on a weaker absolute magnitude of 15.27.[3]

    Naming

    This minor planet was named in memory of Alfio "Alfiuccio" Grasso (1992–2004) who died in a hunting accident on the slopes of Mount Etna, Italy. The body's name was proposed by C. Blanco and M. Di Martino.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 6 August 2009 (M.P.C. 66725).[6]

    References
    1. "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 22577 Alfiuccio (1998 HT51)" (2017-01-28 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
    2. Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names – (22577) Alfiuccio. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 1045. ISBN 978-3-540-29925-7. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
    3. "LCDB Data for (22577) Alfiuccio". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 11 May 2016.
    4. Waszczak, Adam; Chang, Chan-Kao; Ofek, Eran O.; Laher, Russ; Masci, Frank; Levitan, David; et al. (September 2015). "Asteroid Light Curves from the Palomar Transient Factory Survey: Rotation Periods and Phase Functions from Sparse Photometry". The Astronomical Journal. 150 (3): 35. arXiv:1504.04041. Bibcode:2015AJ....150...75W. doi:10.1088/0004-6256/150/3/75. S2CID 8342929. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
    5. "22577 Alfiuccio (1998 HT51)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
    6. "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 11 May 2016.

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