2807 Karl Marx, provisional designation 1969 TH6, is a carbonaceous Dorian asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1969, by Russian astronomer Lyudmila Chernykh at the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory in Nauchnyj on the Crimean peninsula.[3] The asteroid was later named for the German philosopher Karl Marx.[2]

2807 Karl Marx
Discovery [1]
Discovered byL. Chernykh
Discovery siteCrimean Astrophysical Obs.
Discovery date15 October 1969
Designations
(2807) Karl Marx
Named after
Karl Marx
(revolutionary socialist)[2]
1969 TH6 · 1952 BD1
1974 XF · 1976 GD3
A924 BE
main-belt[3] · (middle)
Dora [4]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc93.16 yr (34,025 days)
Aphelion3.2969 AU
Perihelion2.2938 AU
2.7953 AU
Eccentricity0.1794
4.67 yr (1,707 days)
13.095°
0° 12m 39.24s / day
Inclination7.8785°
28.449°
92.475°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions16.866±0.144 km[5]
0.057±0.012[5]
SMASS = C[1]
12.7[1]

Orbit and classification

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Dora family

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Karl Marx is a member of the Dora family (512), a well-determined asteroid family of more than 1,200 known members with a carbonaceous composition. The family's namesake is 668 Dora. It is alternatively known as the "Zhongolovich family", named after its presumably largest member 1734 Zhongolovich. The Dora family may also contain a subfamily.[4][6]: 13, 23 

Orbit and observation arc

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It orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.3–3.3 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,707 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[1]

The asteroid was first identified as 1924 BE at Heidelberg Observatory in 1924. Its first used observation is a precovery taken at Palomar Observatory in 1954, extending the body's observation arc by 15 years prior to its official discovery observation at Nauchnyj.[3]

Physical characteristics

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In the SMASS classification, Karl Marx is classified as a carbonaceous C-type asteroid.[1] According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Karl Marx measures 16.9 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo of 0.057.[5]

Lightcurves

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As of 2017, no rotational lightcurve of Karl Marx has been obtained. The body's rotation period and shape remains unknown.[1][7]

Naming

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This minor planet was named after German philosopher, economist and revolutionary socialist Karl Marx (1818–1883), student of the theories about society, economics and politics, and author of Das Kapital, the foundational theoretical text of modern communist thought.[2] The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 24 July 1983 (M.P.C. 8065).[8]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 2807 Karl Marx (1969 TH6)" (2017-03-29 last obs.). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Schmadel, Lutz D. (2007). "(2807) Karl Marx". Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Berlin Heidelberg. p. 230. doi:10.1007/978-3-540-29925-7_2808. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
  3. ^ a b c "2807 Karl Marx (1969 TH6)". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
  4. ^ a b Broz, M.; Morbidelli, A.; Bottke, W. F.; Rozehnal, J.; Vokrouhlický, D.; Nesvorný, D. (March 2013). "Constraining the cometary flux through the asteroid belt during the late heavy bombardment". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 551: 16. arXiv:1301.6221. Bibcode:2013A&A...551A.117B. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201219296.
  5. ^ a b c Masiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Dailey, J.; et al. (November 2011). "Main Belt Asteroids with WISE/NEOWISE. I. Preliminary Albedos and Diameters". The Astrophysical Journal. 741 (2): 20. arXiv:1109.4096. Bibcode:2011ApJ...741...68M. doi:10.1088/0004-637X/741/2/68. Retrieved 6 November 2016.
  6. ^ Nesvorný, D.; Broz, M.; Carruba, V. (December 2014). "Identification and Dynamical Properties of Asteroid Families". Asteroids IV. pp. 297–321. arXiv:1502.01628. Bibcode:2015aste.book..297N. doi:10.2458/azu_uapress_9780816532131-ch016. ISBN 978-0-8165-3213-1.
  7. ^ "LCDB Data for (2807) Karl Marx". Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB). Retrieved 14 June 2017.
  8. ^ "MPC/MPO/MPS Archive". Minor Planet Center. Retrieved 30 November 2016.
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