18 Melpomene
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | John Russell Hind |
| Discovery date | June 24, 1852 |
| Designations | |
| Pronunciation | /mɛlˈpɒmɨniː/ mel-POM-i-nee |
| Named after | Melpomenē |
| Minor planet category | Main belt |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch October 22, 2004 (JD 2453300.5) | |
| Aphelion | 418.414 Gm (2.797 AU) |
| Perihelion | 268.472 Gm (1.795 AU) |
| Semi-major axis | 343.443 Gm (2.296 AU) |
| Eccentricity | 0.218 |
| Orbital period | 1270.552 d (3.48 a) |
| Average orbital speed | 19.42 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 205.245° |
| Inclination | 10.126° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 150.547° |
| Argument of perihelion | 227.975° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
170 x 155 x 129 km[2] (150×125 km)[3] (150×170 km)[4] 140.6 ± 2.8 km (IRAS)[1] |
| Mass | 3.0×1018 kg[2] |
| Mean density | 1.69±0.66 g/cm3[2] |
| Equatorial surface gravity | ~0.0393 m/s2 |
| Escape velocity | ~0.0743 km/s |
| Rotation period | 0.482 21 d (11.57 h)[1][5] |
| Albedo | 0.223 (geometric) [1][6] |
| Temperature | ~177 K |
| Spectral type | S[1] |
| Apparent magnitude | 7.5[7] to 12.0 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 6.51[1] |
| Angular diameter | 0.23" to 0.059" |
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18 Melpomene is a large, bright main-belt asteroid that was discovered by J. R. Hind on June 24, 1852,[8] and named after Melpomenē, the Muse of tragedy in Greek mythology. It is classified as an S-type asteroid and is composed of silicates and metals.
Melpomene occulted the star SAO 114159 on December 11, 1978. A possible Melpomenean satellite with a diameter at least 37 km was detected. The satellite candidate received a provisional designation S/1978 (18) 1.[9] In 1988 a search for satellites or dust orbiting this asteroid was performed using the UH88 telescope at the Mauna Kea Observatories, but the effort came up empty.[10] Melpomene was observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993. It was able to resolve the asteroid's slightly elongated shape, but no satellites were detected.[3]
Melpomene has been studied by radar.[11]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 Yeomans, Donald K., "18 Melpomene", JPL Small-Body Database Browser (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Jim Baer (2008). "Recent Asteroid Mass Determinations". Personal Website. Retrieved 2008-11-27.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Storrs, Alex; Weiss; Zellner; Burlsen; et al. (1999). "Imaging Observations of Asteroids with Hubble Space Telescope". Icarus 137 (2): 260–268. Bibcode:1999Icar..137..260S. doi:10.1006/icar.1999.6047. Archived from the original on 30 October 2008. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ Storrs, Alex; Dunne; Conan; Mugnier; et al. (2005). "A closer look at main belt asteroids 1: WF/PC images". Icarus 173 (2): 409–416. Bibcode:2005Icar..173..409S. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.08.007. Retrieved 2008-11-26.
- ↑ "Lightcurves and Map Data on Numbered Asteroids N° 1 TO 52225". AstroSurf. Archived from the original on 2005-11-27. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ "Asteroid Data Archive". Planetary Science Institute. Archived from the original on 2006-06-23. Retrieved 2008-11-03.
- ↑ Menzel, Donald H.; Pasachoff, Jay M. (1983). A Field Guide to the Stars and Planets (2nd ed.). Boston, MA: Houghton Mifflin. p. 391. ISBN 0-395-34835-8.
- ↑ "Numbered Minor Planets 1–5000", Discovery Circumstances (IAU Minor Planet center), retrieved 2013-04-07.
- ↑ IAUC 3315: 1978 (18) 1; WZ Sge, Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams, retrieved 2011-07-05.
- ↑ Gradie, J.; Flynn, L. (March 1988), "A Search for Satellites and Dust Belts Around Asteroids: Negative Results", Abstracts of the Lunar and Planetary Science Conference 19: 405–406, Bibcode:1988LPI....19..405G.
- ↑ Radar-Detected Asteroids and Comets, NASA/JPL Asteroid Radar Research, retrieved 2011-10-30.
External links
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