2169 Taiwan


2169 Taiwan, provisional designation, is a carbonaceous Astridian asteroid from the central regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 9 November 1964, by astronomers at the Purple Mountain Observatory near Nanking, China. It was named for Taiwan.

Orbit and classification

Taiwan is a member of the Astrid family, a smaller asteroid family of nearly 500 carbonaceous asteroids. The family is located in the outermost central main-belt, near a prominent Kirkwood gap, that marks the 5:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter, and divides the asteroid belt into a central and outer part.
Taiwan orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–2.9 AU once every 4 years and 8 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 2° with respect to the ecliptic.
The body's observation arc begins with its first identification as at Heidelberg Observatory in February 1938, almost 27 years prior to its official discovery observation at Nanking.

Physical characteristics

In the SMASS classification, and according to PanSTARRS photometric survey, Taiwan is a carbonaceous C-type asteroid.

Rotation period

In September 2010, a rotational lightcurve of Taiwan was obtained from photometric observations in the R-band by astronomers at the Palomar Transient Factory in California. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period of 7.252 hours with a brightness variation of 0.17 magnitude.

Diameter and albedo

According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Taiwan measures between 16.52 and 19.263 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.042 and 0.085.
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a diameter of 14.39 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 12.94.

Naming

This minor planet was named after the Island of Taiwan. Taiwan, or the Republic of China, is a country southeast of mainland China. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 February 1980.