108 Hecuba

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

108 Hecuba
Discovery A
Discoverer R. Luther
Discovery date April 2, 1869
Alternate
designations
B
none
Category Main belt
Orbital elements C
Epoch November 26, 2005 (JD 2453700.5)
Eccentricity (e) 0.052
Semi-major axis (a) 484.831 Gm (3.241 AU)
Perihelion (q) 459.401 Gm (3.071 AU)
Aphelion (Q) 510.261 Gm (3.411 AU)
Orbital period (P) 2131.062 d (5.83 a)
Mean orbital speed 16.53 km/s
Inclination (i) 4.247°
Longitude of the
ascending node
(Ω)
350.375°
Argument of
perihelion
(ω)
191.105°
Mean anomaly (M) 241.477°
Physical characteristics D
Dimensions 65 km[1]
Mass ~3.9×1017 kg (estimate)
Density ~2.7 g/cm³ (estimate)[3]
Surface gravity ~0.025 m/s² (estimate)
Escape velocity ~0.040 km/s (estimate)
Rotation period 0.60 d or 1.20 d [2]
Spectral class S
Absolute magnitude 8.09
Albedo (geometric) 0.243 [1]
Mean surface
temperature
~148 K
max: 215K (-58° C)
This box: view  talk  edit

108 Hecuba is a fairly large and bright main belt asteroid.

Hecuba orbits within the Hygiea family of asteroids but is not otherwise related to other family members because it has a silicate composition. Hygieas are dark C-type asteroids.

It was discovered by R. Luther on April 2, 1869 and named after Hecuba, wife of King Priam in the legends of the Trojan War.

[edit] References

  1. PDS lightcurve data
  2. G. A. Krasinsky et al Hidden Mass in the Asteroid Belt, Icarus, Vol. 158, p. 98 (2002).