423 Diotima

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

423 Diotima
Discovery A
Discoverer Auguste Charlois
Discovery date December 7, 1896
Alternate
designations
B
1896 DB
Category Main belt (Eos)
Orbital elements C
Epoch 30 January 2005 (JD 2453400.5)
Eccentricity (e) 0.041
Semi-major axis (a) 458.683 Gm (3.066 AU)
Perihelion (q) 439.945 Gm (2.941 AU)
Aphelion (Q) 477.421 Gm (3.191 AU)
Orbital period (P) 1960.969 d (5.37 a)
Mean orbital speed 17.01 km/s
Inclination (i) 11.24°
Longitude of the
ascending node
(Ω)
69.564°
Argument of
perihelion
(ω)
207.473°
Mean anomaly (M) 179.514°
Physical characteristics D
Dimensions 209.0 km
Mass unknown
Density unknown
Surface gravity unknown
Escape velocity unknown
Rotation period unknown
Spectral class C
Absolute magnitude 7.24
Albedo (geometric) unknown
Mean surface
temperature
unknown
This box: view  talk  edit

423 Diotima (dye'-ə-tye'-mə, IPA: /ˈdaɪəˈtaɪmə/; Latin Diotīma, from Greek) is a one of the largest Main belt asteroids. It is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material.[citation needed]

It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on December 7, 1896 in Nice. It is named for a priestess who was one of Socrates's teachers. It is one of seven of Charlois's discoveries that was expressly named by the Astromomisches Rechen-Institut (Astronomical Calculation Institute). [1]

In the late 1990s, a network of astronomers worldwide gathered lightcurve data that was ultimately used to derive the spin states and shape models of 10 new asteroids, including (423) Diotima. [2][3]

[edit] References

  1. ^ Schmadel Lutz D. Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (fifth edition), Springer, 2003. ISBN-10: 3540002383.
  2. ^ Durech., J.; Kaasalainen, M., Marciniak, A.; et al., “Physical models of ten asteroids from an observers' collaboration network,” Astronomy and Astrophysics , Volume 465, Issue 1, April I 2007, pp. 331-337
  3. ^ Durech, J.; Kaasalainen, M.; Marciniak, A.; Allen, W. H. et al. “Asteroid brightness and geometry,” Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 465, Issue 1, April I 2007, pp. 331-337.