Koronis family

The Koronis family is a family of asteroids in the main belt between Mars and Jupiter. They are thought to have been formed at least two billion years ago in a catastrophic collision between two larger bodies. The largest known (208 Lacrimosa) is about 41 km (25 mi) in diameter. The Koronis family travels in a cluster along the same orbit.[1] Over 300 have been found but only about 20 are larger than 20 km in diameter.

On August 28, 1993, the Galileo spacecraft visited a member of this family, 243 Ida.

Contents

Some of the larger Koronis-family asteroids

Name Median
diameter
Semi-major axis Orbital
inclination
Orbital eccentricity  Discovered 
158 Koronis 35.4 km 2.867 AU 1.00° 0.057 1876
167 Urda 39.9 km 2.855 AU 2.21° 0.035 1876
208 Lacrimosa 41.0 km 2.895 AU 1.751° 0.015 1879
243 Ida 31.3 km 2.861 AU 1.138° 0.046 1884
263 Dresda 23.0 km 2.886 AU 1.314° 0.079 1886
277 Elvira 27.0 km 2.887 AU 1.156° 0.089 1888
311 Claudia 24.0 km 2.897 AU 3.225° 0.008 1891
321 Florentina 27.0 km 2.886 AU 2.594° 0.043 1891
534 Nassovia  ? 2.884 AU 3.277° 0.057 1904
720 Bohlinia  ? 2.888 AU 2.359° 0.014 1911
1223 Neckar  ? 2.8690752 AU 2.55052º 0.0605204 1931
9908 Aue  ? 2.900 AU 2.68° 0.0355 1971

See also

References

  1. ^ "Fresh Spin on Solar Powered Asteroids", Space.com, 10 September 2003

External links