93 Minerva

93 Minerva
	A three-dimensional model of 93 Minerva based on its light curve.
Discovery
Discovered by	James Craig Watson
Discovery site	Ann Arbor, Michigan
Discovery date	24 August 1867
Designations
MPC designation	(93) Minerva
Named after	Minerva
Alternative designations	1949 QN2, A902 DA
Minor planet category	Main belt
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
	Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	146.14 yr (53379 d)
Aphelion	3.1429 AU (470.17 Gm)
Perihelion	2.3711 AU (354.71 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.7570 AU (412.44 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.13998
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.58 yr (1672.0 d)
Average orbital speed	~17.86 km/s
Mean anomaly	262.022°
Mean motion	0° 12m 55.116s / day
Inclination	8.56143°
Longitude of ascending node	4.06265°
Argument of perihelion	274.543°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	141.55±4.0 km (IRAS); 156km (spherical)
Mass	3.7×1018 kg (assumed)
Mean density	1.9 g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity	4.139 cm/s2 (0.004221 g)
Equatorial escape velocity	8.035 cm/s
Synodic rotation period	5.982 h (0.2493 d)
Geometric albedo	0.0733±0.004
Spectral type	C; G?
Absolute magnitude (H)	8.0

93 Minerva (/mɪˈnɜːrvə/ mi-NUR-və) is a large trinary main-belt asteroid. It is a C-type asteroid, meaning that it has a dark surface and possibly a primitive carbonaceous composition. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on August 24, 1867, and named after Minerva, the Roman equivalent of Athena, goddess of wisdom. An occultation of a star by Minerva was observed in France, Spain and the United States on November 22, 1982. An occultation diameter of ~170 km was measured from the observations. Since then two more occultations have been observed, which give an estimated mean diameter of ~150 km for diameter.^[5]^[6]

Satellites

On August 16, 2009, at 13:36 UT, the Keck Observatory's adaptive optics system revealed that the asteroid 93 Minerva possesses 2 small moons.^[7] They are 4 and 3 km in diameter and the projected separations from Minerva correspond to 630 km (8.8 x Rprimary) and 380 km (5.2 x Rprimary) respectively.^[7] They have been named Aegis and Gorgoneion.^[8]

References

^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 93 Minerva" (2011-12-29 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 13 May 2016.
^ ^a ^b ^c Franck Marchis (October 7, 2011). "Is the triple Asteroid Minerva a baby-Ceres?". NASA blog (Cosmic Diary). Retrieved 2012-01-28.
^ Using a spherical radius of 78 km; volume of a sphere * density of 1.9 g/cm³ yields a mass (m=d*v) of 3.77E+18 kg
^ ^a ^b "HEC:Exoplanets Calculator/Planet Density, Surface Gravity, and Escape Velocity". Planetary Habitability Laboratory. University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. Retrieved 10 January 2014.
^ Millis, R.L; Wasserman, L.H; Bowell, E; Franz, O.G; Nye, R; Osborn, W; Klemola, A (1985), "The occultation of AG+29°398 by 93 Minerva", Icarus, 61: 124–131, Bibcode:1985Icar...61..124M, doi:10.1016/0019-1035(85)90159-9
^ Observed minor planet occultation events, version of 2005 July 26
^ ^a ^b Franck Marchis (2009-08-21). "The discovery of a new triple asteroid, (93) Minerva". Cosmic Diary Blog. Retrieved 2009-10-25.
^ M.P.C. 86284 ^{[not specific enough to verify]}

External links

93 Minerva at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
93 Minerva at the JPL Small-Body Database
- Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

[jpldata-1] ^ ^a ^b ^c ^d ^e ^f "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 93 Minerva" (2011-12-29 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 13 May 2016.

[Baby-Ceres-2] Franck Marchis (October 7, 2011). "Is the triple Asteroid Minerva a baby-Ceres?". NASA blog (Cosmic Diary). Retrieved 2012-01-28.

[estimate-3] Using a spherical radius of 78 km; volume of a sphere * density of 1.9 g/cm³ yields a mass (m=d*v) of 3.77E+18 kg

[PHL-4] "HEC:Exoplanets Calculator/Planet Density, Surface Gravity, and Escape Velocity". Planetary Habitability Laboratory. University of Puerto Rico at Arecibo. Retrieved 10 January 2014.

[5] Millis, R.L; Wasserman, L.H; Bowell, E; Franz, O.G; Nye, R; Osborn, W; Klemola, A (1985), "The occultation of AG+29°398 by 93 Minerva", Icarus, 61: 124–131, Bibcode:1985Icar...61..124M, doi:10.1016/0019-1035(85)90159-9

[6] Observed minor planet occultation events, version of 2005 July 26

[Marchis2009-7] Franck Marchis (2009-08-21). "The discovery of a new triple asteroid, (93) Minerva". Cosmic Diary Blog. Retrieved 2009-10-25.

[8] M.P.C. 86284 ^{[not specific enough to verify]}

[1]

[2]

[3]

[4]

[5]

[6]

[7]

[8]