1300 Marcelle


1300 Marcelle, provisional designation, is a carbonaceous asteroid from the middle region of the asteroid belt, approximately 30 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 10 February 1934, by French astronomer Guy Reiss at the North African Algiers Observatory in Algeria.

Orbit and classification

Marcelle orbits the Sun in the central main-belt at a distance of 2.8–2.8 AU once every 4 years and 8 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.01 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins at Uccle Observatory, four days after its official discovery at Algiers, as no precoveries were taken, and no prior identifications were made.

Physical characteristics

Marcelle is a dark C-type asteroid. On the SMASS taxonomic scheme, it is classified as a Cg-subtype, an intermediate to the rather rare G-type asteroids.

Rotation period

The so-far only rotational lightcurve of Marcelle was obtained from photometric observations taken by French amateur astronomer René Roy in January 2008. Light-curve analysis gave a rotation period of 12 hours and a low brightness variation of 0.05 magnitude.

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Marcelle measures between 27.84 and 33.92 kilometers in diameter, and its surface has an albedo between 0.03 and 0.010. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.0637 and a diameter of 27.64 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 11.4.

Naming

This minor planet was named for Marcelle Reiss, the third daughter of the discoverer. He also named his discoveries 1237 Geneviève and 1376 Michelle, after his two other daughters, Geneviève and Michelle, respectively. The official naming citation was also mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955.