132 Aethra

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

132 Aethra
Discovery
Discovered by: James C. Watson
Discovery date: June 13, 1873
Alternative names: A922 XB; 1949 MD; 1953 LF
Minor planet category: Main belt (Mars crosser)
Orbital characteristics
Epoch July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
Aphelion distance: 541.841 Gm (3.622 AU)
Perihelion distance: 238.558 Gm (1.595 AU)
Semi-major axis: 390.199 Gm (2.608 AU)
Eccentricity: 0.389
Orbital period: 1538.652 d (4.21 a)
Avg. orbital speed: 17.72 km/s
Mean anomaly: 89.813°
Inclination: 25.055°
Longitude of ascending node: 258.945°
Argument of perihelion: 254.330°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions: 42.7 km
Mass: 8.2×1016 kg
Mean density: 2 ? g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity: 0.012 m/s²
Escape velocity: 0.023 km/s
Rotation period: 0.2153 d 1
Albedo: 0.172 2
Temperature: ~168 K
Spectral type: M?
Absolute magnitude: 9.38

Discovered by James Craig Watson in 1873, 132 Aethra is a M-type main belt asteroid. It has a rather eccentric orbit that sometimes brings it closer to the Sun than the planet Mars. It was the first such Mars-crosser asteroid to be identified.

The varying light curve of the asteroid implies an elongated or irregular shape for its body.

It is named after Aethra, the mother of Theseus in Greek mythology.


Minor planets
Previous minor planet 132 Aethra Next minor planet
List of asteroids