6980 Kyusakamoto


6980 Kyusakamoto, provisional designation, is a stony Koronis asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Japanese astronomers Kin Endate and Kazuro Watanabe at Kitami Observatory on 16 September 1993. The asteroid was named after Japanese singer Kyu Sakamoto.

Orbit and classification

Kyusakamoto is a member of the Koronis family, which is named after 158 Koronis and consists of about 300 known bodies with nearly ecliptical orbits. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 2.7–3.0 AU once every 4 years and 9 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.05 and an inclination of 3° with respect to the ecliptic.
In November 1979, it was first identified as at Crimea–Nauchnij, extending the body's observation arc by 14 years prior to its official discovery observation at Kitami.

Physical characteristics

Rotation period

In August 2012, a rotational lightcurve of Kyusakamoto was obtained through photometric observations at the Palomar Transient Factory, California. The lightcurve showed a period of hours with a brightness amplitude of 0.40 in magnitude. In the Mould-R filter, a different photometric band, the observations rendered a nearly identical period of hours with an amplitude of 0.41.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by the NEOWISE mission of NASA's space-based Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Kyusakamoto measures 8.8 kilometers in diameter and its surface has a high albedo of 0.30, while the Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes a stony albedo of 0.24 and calculates a slightly larger diameter of 9.0 kilometers.

Naming

This minor planet was named in memory of Japanese popular singer Kyu Sakamoto, who died in the crash of Japan Airlines Flight 123, the deadliest single-aircraft accident in history. Adored as "Kyu-chan", he is best known for his hit, I Look Up As I Walk, which became a worldwide bestseller. The naming also refers to his collaborators Rokusuke Ei and Hachidai Nakamura, songwriter and pianist, respectively. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 5 October 1998.