49 Pales

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49 Pales
Discovery[1]
Discovered by Hermann Goldschmidt
Discovery site Paris Observatory
Discovery date September 19, 1857
Designations
MPC designation 49
Named after Pales
Minor planet category Main belt [2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch November 30, 2008
Aphelion 3.8065 AU
Perihelion 2.3813 AU
Semi-major axis 3.09392 AU
Eccentricity 0.230323
Orbital period 1987.75 days (5.44 years)
Mean anomaly 274.69°
Inclination 3.18°
Longitude of ascending node 286.135°
Argument of perihelion 109.804°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 149.80 ± 3.8 km
Mean diameter[4]
Mass 2.69×1018 kg[5]
Rotation period 10.42 ± 0.02[6] hours
Albedo 0.0597 ± 0.003[4]
Spectral type C[7]
Absolute magnitude (H) 7.8[8]

    49 Pales /ˈplz/ is a large, dark main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by German-French astronomer Hermann Goldschmidt on September 19, 1857 from his balcony in Paris.[1] The asteroid is named after Pales, the goddess of shepherds in Roman mythology. Since it was discovered on the same night as 48 Doris, geologist Élie de Beaumont suggested naming the two "The Twins".[9]

    Pales has been studied by radar.[10] Photometric observations of this asteroid from the Torino Observatory during 1977 gave a light curve with a period of 10.42 ± 0.02 hours and a brightness variation of 0.18 in magnitude. The curve appeared to show a secondary minima.[6] The shape of the curve has a similar appearance to the light curve of binary star Algol, suggesting that this may be a binary asteroid system.[11]

    References

    1. 1.0 1.1 "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". IAU: Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on 2 February 2009. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
    2. "49 Pales". JPL Small-Body Database. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
    3. "(49) Pales". AstDyS. Italy: University of Pisa. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
    4. 4.0 4.1 Tedesco et al. (2004). "Supplemental IRAS Minor Planet Survey (SIMPS)". IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Planetary Data System. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
    5. Jim Baer (2008). "Recent Asteroid Mass Determinations". Personal Website. Archived from the original on 29 January 2009. Retrieved 2008-12-29. 
    6. 6.0 6.1 Schober, H. J. et al. (April 1979), "Photoelectric photometry and rotation periods of three large and dark asteroids - 49 Pales, 88 Thisbe and 92 Undina", Astronomy and Astrophysics, Supplement Series 36: 1–8, Bibcode:1979A&AS...36....1S. 
    7. Neese (2005). "Asteroid Taxonomy". EAR-A-5-DDR-TAXONOMY-V5.0. Planetary Data System. Retrieved December 27, 2008. 
    8. Tholen (2007). "Asteroid Absolute Magnitudes". EAR-A-5-DDR-ASTERMAG-V11.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on 1 December 2008. Retrieved December 29, 2008. 
    9. Schmadel, Lutz (2003), Dictionary of minor planet names (fifth ed.), Germany: Springer, p. 19, ISBN 3-540-00238-3. 
    10. "Radar-Detected Asteroids and Comets". NASA/JPL Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 2011-10-30. 
    11. Tedesco, E. F. (March 1979), "Binary asteroids - Evidence for their existence from lightcurves", Science 203: 905–907, Bibcode:1979Sci...203..905T, doi:10.1126/science.203.4383.905. 

    External links


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