3908 Nyx
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| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Hans-Emil Schuster |
| Discovery date | August 6, 1980 |
| Designations | |
| Named after | Nyx |
| Alternative names | 1980 PA; 1988 XB1 |
| Minor planet category | Amor; Mars-crosser |
| Adjective | Nyctian |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch June 14, 2006 (JD 2453900.5) | |
| Aphelion | 420.707 Gm (2.812 AU) |
| Perihelion | 156.151 Gm (1.044 AU) |
| Semi-major axis | 288.429 Gm (1.928 AU) |
| Eccentricity | 0.459 |
| Orbital period | 977.843 d (2.68 a) |
| Average orbital speed | 20.27 km/s |
| Mean anomaly | 218.206° |
| Inclination | 2.180° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 261.560° |
| Argument of perihelion | 126.177° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 1.04 ± 0.16 km |
| Mass | 1.0–8.4×1012 kg |
| Mean density | 2.0? g/cm³ |
| Equatorial surface gravity | 0.0003–0.0006 m/s² |
| Escape velocity | 0.0005–0.0011 km/s |
| Rotation period | 4.42601 h |
| Albedo | 0.10? |
| Temperature | ~200? K |
| Spectral type | V |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.4 |
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3908 Nyx is an Amor and Mars-crosser asteroid. It was discovered by Hans-Emil Schuster on August 6, 1980, and is named after Nyx, the Greek goddess of the night, after which Pluto's moon Nix is also named. It is 1–2 km in diameter and is a V-type asteroid, meaning that it may be a fragment of the asteroid 4 Vesta.
In 2000, radar observations conducted at the Arecibo and Goldstone observatories produced a model of Nyx's shape; the asteroid can best be described as spherical but with many protruding lumps.
To avoid confusion with 3908 Nyx, Pluto's moon Nix was changed from the initial proposal of the classical spelling Nyx, to Nix.[1]
See also
References
- ↑ "Planet and Satellite Names and Discoverers". Gazetteer of Planetary Nomenclature. USGS Astrogeology. July 21, 2006. Archived from the original on 19 August 2006. Retrieved 2006-08-15.
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