4997 Ksana

4997 Ksana, provisional designation , is a carbonaceous Palladian asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 10 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 6 October 1986, by Russian astronomer Lyudmila Karachkina at Crimean Astrophysical Observatory on the Crimean peninsula. The asteroid was named for Russian chemist Kseniya Nessler.
Orbit and classification.
"Ksana" is a small member of the Pallas family (), a small asteroid family of carbonaceous B-type asteroids. It orbits the Sun in the outer main-belt at a distance of 1.9–3.8 AU once every 4 years and 10 months (1,778 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.33 and an inclination of 33° with respect to the ecliptic.
As no precoveries were taken, the asteroid's observation arc begins with its discovery observation in 1986.
Physical characteristics.
On the SMASS taxonomic scheme, "Ksana" is a B-type asteroid, which are primitive, volatile-rich asteroids. This also agrees with the overall spectral type of the Pallas family.
Diameter and albedo.
According to the surveys carried out by the Japanese Akari satellite and NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer with its subsequent NEOWISE mission, "Ksana" measures between 7.36 and kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.16 and 0.316.
The "Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link" assumes a standard albedo for carbonaceous asteroids of 0.057 and calculates a larger diameter of 14.64 kilometers with an absolute magnitude of 12.9.
Rotation period.
In February 2007, a rotational lightcurve of "Ksana" was obtained from photometric observations by Italian astronomer Federico Manzini at the SAS observatory in Novara, Italy. It gave it a rotation period of hours with a brightness variation of 0.21 in magnitude ().
Naming.
This minor planet was named by the discoverer for his friend, the Russian chemist Kseniya Andreevna Nessler, who has been an advocate against environmental pollution. The asteroid's name "Ksana" is a variation of Kseniya (Ксения), the equivalent to the romanized Xenia. The official naming citation was published by the Minor Planet Center on 1 September 1993 ().