9069 Hovland

Lore & Background

9069 Hovland is a bright E-type asteroid and a member of the Hungaria family, which form the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.7–2.1 AU once every 2 years and 8 months (966 days), with an eccentricity of 0.12 and an inclination of 20° with respect to the ecliptic. The asteroid was first identified as 1991 XF5 at ESO's La Silla site in December 1991, so its observation arc begins 19 months prior to its official discovery at Palomar.

Several rotational lightcurves of Hovland were obtained from photometric observations, giving a well-defined rotation period of 4.216 to 4.217 hours and a low brightness variation between 0.008 and 0.011 in magnitude, indicating a nearly spheroidal shape. According to the space-based Spitzer Space Telescope, Hovland has a high albedo of 0.373 and a diameter of 2.9 kilometers, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for Hungaria family members of 0.30 and calculates a diameter of 3.5 kilometers.

In 2004, the U.S. Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado, reported the discovery of an asteroid moon, making the asteroid a binary system. The moon's orbital period has since been measured to take 30.292, 30.34, and 30.35 hours, respectively, for a full orbit around its primary. The minor planet was named in honor of JPL engineer Larry E. Hovland (b. 1947), who oversees the electronics of the Raman spectrometer and the Mars 2005 optical navigation camera, and helped the discoverer transition from photographic to electronic detection methods.

Reader's Guide

9069 Hovland is significant as a binary Hungaria asteroid, a class that represents the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in the Solar System. Its discovery by Eleanor Helin at Palomar Observatory in 1993, and the subsequent detection of its moon in 2004 at the Palmer Divide Observatory, highlight the ongoing contributions of ground-based observatories to asteroid science. The asteroid's well-defined rotation period and low brightness variation suggest a nearly spheroidal shape, while the discrepancy in diameter estimates between Spitzer Space Telescope (2.9 km) and the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link (3.5 km) reflects typical uncertainties in asteroid size determination. The naming after JPL engineer Larry Hovland underscores the role of technical expertise in advancing astronomical instrumentation, particularly his assistance in transitioning from photographic to electronic detection methods. The multiple measurements of the moon's orbital period (30.292, 30.34, and 30.35 hours) illustrate the precision and variability in binary asteroid studies. Overall, 9069 Hovland serves as a well-characterized example of a small, bright, binary asteroid in the inner main belt.

Did You Know?

• It is a binary asteroid, with a moon discovered in 2004 at the Palmer Divide Observatory, Colorado.
• The asteroid's rotation period is between 4.216 and 4.217 hours, with a very low brightness variation of 0.008 to 0.011 magnitude.
• Its diameter is estimated at 2.9 kilometers by the Spitzer Space Telescope and 3.5 kilometers by the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link.