7225 Huntress
Binary Florian asteroid with a moon and fast spin.
7225 Huntress (1983 BH) is a binary asteroid belonging to the Flora family, located in the inner region of the main asteroid belt. It measures roughly 6 kilometers across. American astronomer Edward Bowell discovered it on 22 January 1983 from Lowell Observatory’s Anderson Mesa Station near Flagstaff, Arizona. The asteroid is named for astrochemist Wesley Huntress. Huntress orbits the Sun at a distance ranging from 1.9 to 2.8 AU, completing one revolution every 3 years and 7 months (1,308 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 7° relative to the ecliptic. The first precovery image dates to 1960 from Palomar Observatory, extending the observation arc 23 years before its official discovery. Data from NASA’s WISE and NEOWISE surveys indicate a diameter between 5.94 and 6.68 km, with an albedo of 0.165 to 0.27. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link uses revised WISE data (Pravec) to report an albedo of 0.1558, a diameter of 6.75 km, and an absolute magnitude of 13.49. In December 2007, astronomers Petr Pravec and Donald Pray independently obtained lightcurves of Huntress, revealing a rotation period of 2.43995 and 2.4400 hours, respectively. The low brightness amplitude of 0.11 magnitude suggests a nearly spheroidal shape. The observations also showed that Huntress is a synchronous binary asteroid, with a moon orbiting it every 14.67 hours. The moon’s diameter is about 21% that of the primary—roughly 1.3 km if the primary is 6 km across. In March 2012, Australian astronomer David Higgins confirmed the rotation period (2.44 hours) and amplitude (0.11 magnitude). For its size, Huntress rotates relatively quickly, near the 2.2-hour fast-rotator threshold. The asteroid was named for Wesley Huntress (born 1942), an American astrochemist and space scientist who directed NASA’s space science programs in the 1990s and conducted pioneering research on chemical evolution in interstellar clouds, comets, and planetary atmospheres. The naming citation was proposed by the discoverer and published on 8 August 1998 (M.P.C. 32348).
Quick Facts
- Minorplanet
- yes
- Background
- #D6D6D6
- Discovered
- 22 January 1983
- Discoverer
- E. Bowell
- Discovery Site
- Anderson Mesa Stn.
- Mpc Name
- (7225) Huntress
- Named After
- Wesley Huntress / (astrochemist)
- Mp Category
- main-beltFlora
- Epoch
- 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
- Uncertainty
- 0
- Observation Arc
- 55.84 yr (20,394 days)
- Aphelion
- 2.8166 AU
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
7225 Huntress 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 1.9–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 7 months (1,308 days), with an eccentricity of 0.20 and an inclination of 7° to the ecliptic. The first precovery was taken at Palomar in 1960, extending the observation arc by 23 years prior to its official discovery. In December 2007, two rotational lightcurves were independently obtained by astronomers Petr Pravec and Donald Pray, giving a rotation period of 2.43995 and 2.4400 hours, respectively. The low brightness amplitude of 0.11 magnitude suggests a nearly spheroidal shape. During the photometric observations, it was revealed, that Huntress is a synchronous binary asteroid with an asteroid moon orbiting it every 14.67 hours. The moon's diameter was estimated to be 21% of that of Huntress (or 1.3 kilometers assuming a primary diameter of 6 km). In March 2012, Australian astronomer David Higgins obtained a concurring lightcurve with period of 2.44 hours and an amplitude of 0.11 magnitude. For an asteroid of its size, Huntress has a relatively short spin rate, not much above the 2.2-hour threshold for fast rotators.
Reader's Guide
7225 Huntress is significant as a binary asteroid within the Flora family, providing insight into the formation and dynamics of small asteroid systems. Its synchronous moon, discovered via lightcurve observations in 2007, makes it one of a growing number of known binary asteroids in the inner main belt. The asteroid's relatively fast rotation period (2.44 hours) near the 2.2-hour fast-rotator threshold suggests it may be a rubble pile or a nearly monolithic body. The diameter estimates from the NEOWISE survey range from 5.94 to 6.680 km, with albedo between 0.165 and 0.27, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts a slightly different albedo of 0.1558 and diameter of 6.75 km. The naming after astrochemist Wesley Huntress honors his contributions to understanding chemical evolution in space. The precovery images from 1960 extend the observational history, aiding orbital refinement. Overall, Huntress contributes to the study of asteroid shapes, spin rates, and binary systems.
Did You Know?
- 7225 Huntress is a binary asteroid with a moon that orbits every 14.67 hours.
- Its rotation period of about 2.44 hours is near the 2.2-hour threshold for fast rotators.
- The asteroid was discovered on 22 January 1983 by Edward Bowell at Anderson Mesa Station in Flagstaff, Arizona.
- The first precovery image was taken at Palomar in 1960, 23 years before its official discovery.
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