1148 Rarahu, provisional designation and previously also known as , is an Eoan
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere.
...
from the outer regions of the
asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, called ...
, approximately 32 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by
Alexander Deutsch
Alexander Nikolaevich Deutsch (Aleksandr Nikolaevič Dejč; russian: Александр Николаевич Дейч; December 31, 1899 – 22 November 1986) was a Soviet astronomer who worked at Pulkovo Observatory.
Deutsch was born in the nig ...
at the
Simeiz Observatory
Simeiz Observatory (also spelled Simeis or Simeïs) was an astronomy research observatory until the mid-1950s. It is located on Mount Koshka, Crimea, , by the town of Simeiz.
Part of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, it is currently used f ...
in 1929, the asteroid's name was taken from a French novel by
Pierre Loti
Pierre Loti (; pseudonym of Louis Marie-Julien Viaud ; 14 January 1850 – 10 June 1923) was a French naval officer and novelist, known for his exotic novels and short stories.This article is derived largely from the ''Encyclopædia Britannica El ...
.
Discovery
''Rarahu'' was discovered on 5 July 1929, by Soviet astronomer
Alexander Deutsch
Alexander Nikolaevich Deutsch (Aleksandr Nikolaevič Dejč; russian: Александр Николаевич Дейч; December 31, 1899 – 22 November 1986) was a Soviet astronomer who worked at Pulkovo Observatory.
Deutsch was born in the nig ...
at the
Simeiz Observatory
Simeiz Observatory (also spelled Simeis or Simeïs) was an astronomy research observatory until the mid-1950s. It is located on Mount Koshka, Crimea, , by the town of Simeiz.
Part of the Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, it is currently used f ...
on the Crimean peninsula. On July 28, it was independently discovered by Cyril Jackson and Harry Wood at
Johannesburg Observatory
Union Observatory also known as Johannesburg Observatory ( 078) is a defunct astronomical observatory in Johannesburg, South Africa that was operated between 1903 and 1971. It is located on Observatory Ridge, the city's highest point at 1,808 met ...
in South Africa. The
Minor Planet Center
The Minor Planet Center (MPC) is the official body for observing and reporting on minor planets under the auspices of the International Astronomical Union (IAU). Founded in 1947, it operates at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory.
Function
...
only recognizes the first discoverer.
Orbit and classification
''Rarahu'' is a member the
Eos family The Eos family (''adj. Eoan'' ; ) is a very large asteroid family located in the outer region of the asteroid belt. The family of K-type asteroids is believed to have formed as a result of an ancient catastrophic collision. The family's parent body ...
(), the largest
asteroid family
An asteroid family is a population of asteroids that share similar proper orbital elements, such as semimajor axis, eccentricity, and orbital inclination. The members of the families are thought to be fragments of past asteroid collisions. An a ...