580 Selene

580 Selene
Discovery
Discovered by M. F. Wolf
Discovery site Heidelberg
Discovery date December 17, 1905
Designations
1905 SE
Orbital characteristics
Epoch August 18, 2005 (JDCT 2453600.5)
Aphelion 3.494 AU
Perihelion 2.973 AU
3.233 AU
Eccentricity 0.080
5.814 a
93.455°
Inclination 3.651°
99.376°
328.158°

    580 Selene is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. The name Selene is that of an ancient Greek goddess of the Moon.

    This body orbits the Sun nearly mid-way between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. The orbital eccentricity is slightly lower than that of Mars. Based on its light curve, Selene has an estimated rotation period of 0.3947±0.0004 days, or just under 9.5 hours.[1] During each rotation, the apparent magnitude varies by 0.27. The approximate diameter of this asteroid is 46 km.[2] (Some sources list a diameter of up to 56 km.) The albedo is about 7%, comparable to that of the Earth's Moon.

    References

    1. Antonini, Pierre (2005-05-16). "Courbes de rotation d'astéroïdes et de comètes" (in French). Observatoire de Genève. Archived from the original on 8 July 2006. Retrieved 2006-06-12.
    2. "Occultation by (580) Selene". RASNZ Occultation Section. 2005-01-18. Retrieved 2006-06-12.

    External links