26 Proserpina

26 Proserpina
Discovery
Discovered by R. Luther
Discovery date May 5, 1853
Designations
Pronunciation /proʊˈsɜrpɨnə/ proh-SUR-pi-nə
Named after
 Proserpina
1935 KK; 1954 WD1
Main belt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch June 14, 2006 (JD 2453900.5)
Aphelion 431.898 Gm (2.887 AU)
Perihelion 362.816 Gm (2.425 AU)
397.357 Gm (2.656 AU)
Eccentricity 0.087
1581.184 d (4.33 a)
18.24 km/s
115.619°
Inclination 3.562°
45.884°
193.120°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 94.8 ± 1.7 km (IRAS)[1]
89.63 ± 3.55[2] km
Mass (7.48 ± 8.95) × 1017[2] kg
Mean density
 1.98 ± 2.38[2] g/cm3
0.0266? m/s²
0.0503? km/s
13.11 h[1][3]
Albedo 0.1966[1][4]
Temperature ~166 K
Spectral type
 S[1]
7.5[1]

    26 Proserpina is a main-belt asteroid discovered by R. Luther on May 5, 1853. It is named after the Roman goddess Proserpina, the daughter of Ceres and the Queen of the Underworld.

    Photometric observations of this asteroid have produced discrepant estimates of the rotation period. A period of 12.13 hours was reported in 1979, followed by 10.6 hours in 1981 and 6.67 hours in 2001. Observations made in 2007 at the Oakley Observatory in Terre Haute, Indiana produced a light curve with a period of 13.06 ± 0.03 hours and a brightness variation of 0.21 ± 0.01 in magnitude.[5] This was refined by a 2008 study, giving a period of 13.110 ± 0.001 hours.[6]

    References

    1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 26 Proserpina" (2011-12-30 last obs). Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 2012-01-28.
    2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science 73: 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
    3. ↑ http://www.psi.edu/pds/asteroid/EAR_A_5_DDR_DERIVED_LIGHTCURVE_V8_0/data/lc.tab
    4. ↑ http://www.psi.edu/pds/asteroid/EAR_A_5_DDR_ALBEDOS_V1_1/data/albedos.tab
    5. ↑ Ditteon, Richard; Hawkins, Scot (September 2007), "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Oakley Observatory - October-November 2006", Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers 34 (3): 59–64, Bibcode:2007MPBu...34...59D.
    6. ↑ Pilcher, Frederick (September 2008), "Period Determinations for 26 Proserpina, 34 Circe 74 Galatea, 143 Adria, 272 Antonia, 419 Aurelia, and 557 Violetta", Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers 35 (3): 135–138, Bibcode:2008MPBu...35..135P.

    External links