(3169) Ostro

compiled by Wm. Robert Johnston
last updated 23 November 2008

Orbital elements and other data (Assumed or derived values in parenthesis, my estimates in italics and parenthesis. Source identifications in brackets, see this link for sources):

orbital data, primary (osculating elements) [JPL]:
semimajor axis a: 1.8919245 AU
orbital period P: 2.60 y (=950.50436 d)
eccentricity e: 0.0670811
perihelion distance q: 1.7650121 AU
aphelion distance Q: 2.0188369 AU
inclination i: 24.90861°
argument of perihelion omega: 32.49640°
ascending node OMEGA: 96.43935°
mean anomaly M: 348.46342°
perihelion passage TP: 2008-12-30.4399
Epoch: 30 NOV 2008
data arc: 1953-2005 (238 obs.)

orbital data, secondary:
semimajor axis a: 4.8 km? [D07b]
semimajor axis/primary radius a/Rp: ?
orbital period P: 0.2701 ± 0.0002 d [C320]
eccentricity e: ?

other data, primary:
dimensions a x b x c: (4.4 km x 3.4 km x 3.2 km)? [D07b]
absolute magnitude H: 12.73 [JPL]
rotation period: 6.509 ± 0.001 h [D07b]
amplitude delta M: 0.35 [C320]
0.75 [C320]
color index U-B: 0.306 ± 0.024 [JPL]
color index B-V: 0.771 ± 0.008 [JPL]
color index V-R: ?
color index R-I: ?
slope parameter G: ?
geometric albedo: ?
mass: ?
density: 2.6 ± 0.2 g/cm3? [D07b]
type: TS (Tholen) [JPL]
Xe (SMASSII) [JPL]

other data, secondary:
dimensions a x b x c: (4.8 km x 2.6 km x 2.4 km)? [D07b]
diameter ratio Ds/Dp: 0.87 ± 0.01? [D07b]
component magnitude difference: ?
rotation period: ?

--(3169) Ostro--discovery and notes:

Primary discovered 4 June 1981 by E. Bowell at Flagstaff, Arizona, USA; linked to prediscovery observations from 1953. Alternate designation 1981 LA.

Secondary identified by P. Descamps, F. Marchis, A. Peyrot, J.-P. Teng-Chuen-Yu, J. Dorseuil, B. Payet, T. Dijoux, Y. Leonie, H. Berrouachdi, C. Chion Hock, F. Benard, C. Benard, J. Berthier, D. Hestroffer, and F. Vachier based on lightcurve observations from 5 November 2005 to 5 December 2005, reported 20 December 2005.

See more information and links at Asteroid/Comet Connection Catchall Catalog page

--Links, more technical:

--Links, less technical:

--Links to ADS abstracts:


© 2008 by Wm. Robert Johnston.
Last modified 23 November 2008.
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