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1089 Tama

1089 Tama is a astronomy topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand 1089 Tama rather than just read about it. In short: 1089 Tama, provisional designation 1927 WB, is an elongated Florian asteroid and synchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Japanese astronomer Okuro Oikawa at the old Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (389) on 17 November 1927.

1089 Tama — main illustration
1089 Tama — illustration

Key takeaways

  • 1089 Tama belongs to astronomy; place it in that map before memorising details.
  • Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
  • Connect 1089 Tama to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
  • Reproduce the core statement of 1089 Tama from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

1089 Tama, provisional designation 1927 WB, is an elongated Florian asteroid and synchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Japanese astronomer Okuro Oikawa at the old Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (389) on 17 November 1927. The asteroid was named after the Tama River in Japan. Its minor-planet moon was discovered in December 2003 and measures approximately 9 kilometers.

Orbit and classification Tama is a member of the Flora family (402), a giant asteroid family and the largest family of stony asteroids in the main-belt. It is, however, a non-family asteroid from the main belt's background population when applying the Hierarchical Clustering Method to its proper orbital elements. The asteroid orbits the Sun in the inner main-belt at a distance of 1.9–2.5 AU once every 3 years and 3 months (1,203 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 4° with respect to the ecliptic. Tama was first identified as A894 VA at Heidelberg Observatory in November 1894. The body's observation arc begins with its identification as A904 VD at Heidelberg in November 1904, or 23 years prior to its official discovery observation at Tokyo.

Physical characteristics Tama is an assumed stony S-type asteroid.

Rotation period A large number of rotational lightcurves of Tama were obtained from photometric observations since it has been identified as a binary asteroid (see below). Lightcurve analysis gave a rotation period between 16.4 and 16.464 hours with a brightness variation between 0.08 and 0.41 magnitude (U=2-/2-3-/3), superseding a period of 4 hours from a fragmentary lightcurve obtained in the 1990s (U=1). Tama appears to be somewhat elongated in shape. LCDB's consolidated result gives a period of 16.44 hours and an amplitude of 0.41 magnitude (U=3).

Diameter and albedo According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the NEOWISE mission of the Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Tama measures between 11.33 and 13.32 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.216 and 0.32. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.2048 and a diameter of 12.82 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 11.8.

Satellite In 2004, it was announced that Tama has a minor-planet moon. The satellite was identified based on lightcurve observations with mutual occultation and eclipsing events from 24 December 2003 to 5 January 2004 by Raoul Behrend, René Roy, Claudine Rinner, Pierre Antonini, Petr Pravec, Alan Harris, Stefano Sposetti, Russell Durkee, and Alain Klotz. The moon measures approximately 9 kilometers in diameter. It may orbits 20 km away in a period of 16.4442 hours (synchronously).

Spin axis Tamas lightcurve has also been modeled. In 2013, modelling by an international study using photometric data from the US Naval Observatory, the Uppsala Asteroid Photometric Catalogue (UAPC) and the Palmer Divide Observatory, gave a concurring rotation period of 16.4655 hours. Another modeled lightcurve using data from UAPC, the Palomar Transient Factory survey, and individual observers, gave a period of 16.4461 hours as well as two spin axes of (193.0°, 32.0°) and (9.0°, 28.0°) in ecliptic coordinates (λ, β).

Naming This minor planet was named after Tama River near the discovering Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (389) in Japan. The official naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 103).

References

External links (1089) Tama – IAUC 8265, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams Asteroids with Satellites, Robert Johnston, johnstonsarchive.net Asteroid Lightcurve Database (LCDB), query form (info Archived 16 December 2017 at the Wayback Machine) Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR Archived 29 July 2016 at the Wayback Machine – Observatoire de Genève, Raoul Behrend Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center 1089 Tama at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info 1089 Tama at the JPL Small-Body Database

Illustrations

1089 Tama illustration

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with 1089 Tama

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what 1089 Tama claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In astronomy, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to 1089 Tama before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about 1089 Tama ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of 1089 Tama

In research
1089 Tama appears in astronomy research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry
Engineering practice reuses 1089 Tama in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom
1089 Tama is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Astronomical objects discovered in 1927, Binary asteroids, Discoveries by Okuro Oikawa, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life
Look for 1089 Tama outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.
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How to study 1089 Tama in 20 minutes

  1. Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
  2. Close the page and write down what 1089 Tama means in your own words.
  3. Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
  4. Work through the three examples above with pen and paper.
  5. Explain 1089 Tama out loud to somebody else — or to Teacher Smith in the lgStudy chat.

Frequently asked questions

What is 1089 Tama in simple terms?

1089 Tama, provisional designation 1927 WB, is an elongated Florian asteroid and synchronous binary system from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Japanese astronomer Okuro Oikawa at the old Tokyo Astronomical Observatory (389) on 1…

Why does 1089 Tama matter?

Because it connects several astronomy ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study 1089 Tama?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on 1089 Tama.

Tags

  • Astronomical objects discovered in 1927
  • Binary asteroids
  • Discoveries by Okuro Oikawa
  • Flora asteroids
  • Minor planet object articles (numbered)
  • Named minor planets

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