4868 Knushevia


4868 Knushevia, provisional designation is a bright Hungaria asteroid and suspected binary system from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 27 October 1989, by American astronomer Eleanor Helin at the Palomar Observatory in California, United States. The asteroid was named for the Kyiv University in Ukraine.

Classification and orbit

Knushevia is a bright member of the Hungaria family, which forms the innermost dense concentration of asteroids in the Solar System. It orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.8–2.1 AU once every 2 years and 9 months. Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.07 and an inclination of 22° with respect to the ecliptic.

Physical characteristics

Lightcurves and satellite

Between 2008 and 2011, three rotational lightcurves of Knushevia were obtained from photometric observations by American astronomer Brian Warner. Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period between 4.45 and 4.717 hours with an exceptionally low brightness amplitude of 0.01 magnitude.
In May 2015, Warner measured a period of 3.1422 hours with an amplitude of 0.09. The photometric observation also revealed that Knushevia might be a binary asteroid with a minor-planet moon orbiting it every 11.922 hours. The results, however, are tentative only.

Diameter and albedo

According to the survey carried out by NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, Knushevia measures 1.535 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an outstandingly high albedo of 1.000.
The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link assumes an albedo for bright E-type asteroids of 0.40 – derived from 434 Hungaria, the family's largest member and namesake – and calculates a diameter of 2.30 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 14.8.

Naming

This minor planet was named after Kyiv University for its great achievement in the education, science and culture of Ukraine. It is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in Ukraine. The approved naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 27 April 2002.