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 | |
(93) Minerva | |
Pronunciation | /mɪˈnɜːrvə/[1] |
Named after | Minerva |
1949 QN2, A902 DA | |
Main belt | |
Adjectives | Minervian, Minervean /mɪˈnɜːrviən/ |
Orbital characteristics[2] | |
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) |
2.7570 AU (412.44 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.13998 |
4.58 yr (1672.0 d) | |
Average orbital speed | ~17.86 km/s |
262.022° | |
0° 12m 55.116s / day | |
Inclination | 8.56143° |
4.06265° | |
274.543° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 141.55±4.0 km (IRAS)[2] 156km (spherical)[3] |
Mass | 3.7×1018 kg (assumed)[4] |
Mean density | 1.9 g/cm³[3] |
Equatorial surface gravity | 4.139 cm/s2 (0.004221 g)[5] |
Equatorial escape velocity | 8.035 cm/s[5] |
5.982 h (0.2493 d)[2] | |
0.0733±0.004[2] | |
C[2] G?[3] | |
8.0[2] | |
Minerva (minor planet designation: 93 Minerva) 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.[6][7]
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.[8] 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.[8] They have been named[citation needed] Aegis /ˈiːdʒɪs/[9] and Gorgoneion /ˌɡɔːrɡəˈnaɪən/.[10]
References
- ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
- ^ 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 (7 October 2011). "Is the triple Asteroid Minerva a baby-Ceres?". NASA blog (Cosmic Diary). Retrieved 28 January 2012.
- ^ 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 (1): 124–131, Bibcode:1985Icar...61..124M, doi:10.1016/0019-1035(85)90159-9, hdl:2060/19840022996
- ^ Observed minor planet occultation events, version of 2005 July 26
- ^ a b Franck Marchis (21 August 2009). "The discovery of a new triple asteroid, (93) Minerva". Cosmic Diary Blog. Retrieved 25 October 2009.
- ^ "aegis". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. n.d.
- ^ "gorgoneion". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. n.d.
External links
- 93 Minerva at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 93 Minerva at the JPL Small-Body Database