3073 Kursk
A stony Florian asteroid with a synchronous moon.
3073 Kursk, also designated 1979 SW11, is a rocky asteroid from the inner main belt. It belongs to the Flora family of stony S-type asteroids and forms a synchronous binary system with a small moon. The object is roughly 4.7 kilometers across. Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh discovered it on September 24, 1979, at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj, Crimea.
The asteroid travels around the Sun at a distance ranging from 1.9 to 2.5 AU, completing one orbit every 1,227 days (about 3 years and 4 months). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 5 degrees relative to the ecliptic. Based on an assumed albedo of 0.24—derived from 8 Flora, the family’s largest member—the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link estimates a diameter of 4.67 kilometers and an absolute magnitude of 13.86.
A 1.67-kilometer moon orbits Kursk once every 44.96 hours (1 day, 20 hours, and 57 minutes).
The minor planet was named after the historic Russian city of Kursk. The naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on July 2, 1985 (M.P.C. 9771).
Quick Facts
- Minorplanet
- yes
- Background
- #D6D6D6
- Discovered
- 24 September 1979
- Discoverer
- N. Chernykh
- Discovery Site
- Crimean Astrophysical Obs.
- Mpc Name
- (3073) Kursk
- Named After
- Kursk (Russian city)
- Mp Category
- main-beltFlora
- Epoch
- 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
- Uncertainty
- 0
- Observation Arc
- 47.38 yr (17,305 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.5475 AU
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
3073 Kursk is a member of the Flora family, one of the largest families of stony S-type asteroids in the main belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 4 months (1,227 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.14 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo of 0.24 – derived from 8 Flora, a S-type asteroid and the family's largest member and namesake – and derives a diameter of 4.67 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 13.86.
A 1.67 kilometer-large minor-planet moon was discovered orbiting Kursk in 44.96 hours (or 1 day, 20 hours, and 57 minutes). This makes 3073 Kursk a synchronous binary system. The minor planet was named after the old Russian city Kursk, and the approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 2 July 1985 (M.P.C. 9771).
Reader's Guide
3073 Kursk is significant as a synchronous binary system in the inner asteroid belt, providing a natural laboratory for studying the dynamics of asteroid-moon systems. Its membership in the Flora family, one of the largest stony S-type asteroid families, places it within a well-studied group that helps scientists understand the composition and evolution of the inner main belt. The discovery of its 1.67-kilometer moon, which orbits every 44.96 hours, adds to the catalog of known binary asteroids, which are relatively rare and offer insights into collisional processes and tidal interactions. The asteroid's diameter, derived from an assumed albedo of 0.24 based on 8 Flora, is approximately 4.7 kilometers, though this value is dependent on the albedo assumption. Named after the old Russian city Kursk, the asteroid's designation was formalized in 1985, reflecting the tradition of naming minor planets after geographic locations. Its discovery by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in 1979 contributes to the legacy of Soviet asteroid surveys.
Did You Know?
- 3073 Kursk was discovered on 24 September 1979 by Soviet astronomer Nikolai Chernykh.
- It has a 1.67-kilometer moon that orbits it every 44.96 hours.
- The asteroid is named after the old Russian city Kursk.
- Its diameter is approximately 4.7 kilometers, derived from an assumed albedo of 0.24.
More in Notable Asteroids, Part 2 1-24
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