3951 Zichichi
Stony Florian binary asteroid from the inner main-belt.
3951 Zichichi (provisionally known as 1986 CK1) is a rocky asteroid from the inner main belt, part of the Flora family. It measures roughly 7 kilometers across and forms a binary system with a smaller moon. The asteroid was discovered on February 12, 1986, by astronomers at the San Vittore Observatory, located near Bologna, Italy. It was later named for Italian nuclear physicist Antonino Zichichi.
Orbiting the Sun at a distance between 1.9 and 2.7 AU, Zichichi completes one revolution every 3 years and 7 months (1,307 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 5 degrees relative to the ecliptic. Classified as an S-type asteroid, it belongs to the Flora family, a large group of stony bodies in the inner asteroid belt.
In 2006, a minor-planet moon was detected orbiting Zichichi at a distance of about 16 kilometers, though the discovery was not announced until 2011. The naming citation for the asteroid was published by the Minor Planet Center on May 20, 1989 (M.P.C. 14634).
Quick Facts
- Minorplanet
- yes
- Background
- #D6D6D6
- Discovered
- 13 February 1986
- Discoverer
- San Vittore Obs.
- Mpc Name
- (3951) Zichichi
- Named After
- Antonino Zichichi / (Italian nuclear physicist)
- Mp Category
- main-beltFlora
- Epoch
- 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
- Uncertainty
- 0
- Observation Arc
- 40.56 yr (14,816 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.7469 AU
- Perihelion
- 1.9320 AU
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
3951 Zichichi is an S-type asteroid and member of the Flora family, one of the largest collisional populations of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,307 days), with an orbital eccentricity of 0.17 and an inclination of 5° with respect to the ecliptic.
A minor-planet moon was discovered orbiting at a distance of 16 km in 2006, but not announced until 2011. The asteroid was named after Italian nuclear physicist Antonino Zichichi, and the approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 20 May 1989 (M.P.C. 14634).
Reader's Guide
3951 Zichichi is notable as a binary system within the Flora family, a major collisional group of stony asteroids in the inner main-belt. Its discovery on 12 February 1986 by staff at the San Vittore Observatory adds to the catalog of asteroids identified from that Italian observatory. The presence of a minor-planet moon, discovered in 2006 and announced in 2011, makes it one of the known binary asteroids, providing insights into the formation and dynamics of such systems. The naming after physicist Antonino Zichichi honors his contributions to nuclear physics. The asteroid's orbital characteristics—a semi-major axis range of 1.9–2.7 AU, eccentricity of 0.17, and inclination of 5°—place it firmly in the inner main-belt. Its stony S-type classification and membership in the Flora family link it to a large population of asteroids thought to originate from a common parent body. The 7-kilometer diameter and the 16-kilometer orbital distance of its moon offer data for studying asteroid satellite systems.
Did You Know?
- 3951 Zichichi is a binary system with a minor-planet moon discovered in 2006.
- Its provisional designation is 1986 CK1.
More in Notable Asteroids, Part 2 1-24
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