23 Thalia

23 Thalia
A three-dimensional model of 23 Thalia based on its light curve.
Discovery
Discovered byJ. R. Hind
Discovery date15 December 1852
Designations
(23) Thalia
Pronunciation/θəˈlaɪ.ə/[1][a]
Named after
Thalia
1938 CL; 1974 QT2
Main belt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 14 June 2006 (JD 2453900.5)
Aphelion484.663 Gm (3.240 AU)
Perihelion301.483 Gm (2.015 AU)
393.073 Gm (2.628 AU)
Eccentricity0.233
1555.679 d (4.26 a)
328.687°
Inclination10.145°
67.228°
59.311°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions107.53 ± 2.2 km (IRAS)[2]
106.81 ± 3.23 km[3]
Mass(1.96 ± 0.09) × 1018 kg[3]
Mean density
3.07 ± 0.31 g/cm3[3]
12.312 h[2]
0.2536 (geometric)[4]
S [2]
9.11 to 13.19
7.17[2]

23 Thalia (/θəˈlaɪ.ə/[a]) is a large main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by J. R. Hind on 15 December 1852, at the private observatory of W. Bishop, located in Hyde Park, London, England.[5] Bishop named it after Thalia, the Muse of comedy and pastoral poetry in Greek mythology.[6]

It is categorized as an S-type asteroid consisting of mainly of iron- and magnesium-silicates. This the second most common type of asteroid in the main belt. Based on analysis of the light curve, the object has a sidereal rotation period of 0.513202 ± 0.000002 days. An ellipsoidal model of the light curve gives an a/b ratio of 1.28 ± 0.05.[7]

With a semimajor axis of 2.628, the asteroid is orbiting between the 3:1 and 5:2 Kirkwood gaps in the main belt.[8] Its orbital eccentricity is larger than the median value of 0.07 for the main belt, and the inclination is larger than the median of below 4°. But most of the main-belt asteroids have an eccentricity of no more than 0.4 and an inclination of up to 30°, so the orbit of 23 Thalia is not unusual for a main-belt asteroid.[9]

Thalia has been studied by radar.[10]

Notes

  1. ^ a b Stressed on the second syllable.

References

  1. ^ Webster, Noah (1884). A Practical Dictionary of the English Language.
  2. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 23 Thalia". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 30 April 2011. Retrieved 28 January 2012.
  3. ^ a b c Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, vol. 73, pp. 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
  4. ^ "Albedos Data Table". Planetary Science Institute. Archived from the original on 22 July 2012. Retrieved 3 November 2008.
  5. ^ Lardner, Dionysius (1858). Hand-books of natural philosophy and astronomy. Vol. 3. Philadelphia: Blanchard and Lea. p. 315. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  6. ^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names (5th ed.). Springer. p. 17. ISBN 3-540-00238-3.
  7. ^ Lagerkvist, C.-I.; et al. (October 1995). "Physical studies of asteroids. XXIX. Photometry and analysis of 27 asteroids". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement. 113: 115–122. Bibcode:1995A&AS..113..115L.
  8. ^ Yeomans, Donald K. "Asteroid Main-Belt Distribution". NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratoty. Retrieved 10 November 2009.
  9. ^ Williams, Gareth (3 April 2007). "Distribution of the Minor Planets". Minor Planets Center. Archived from the original on 21 March 2007. Retrieved 15 April 2007.
  10. ^ "Radar-Detected Asteroids and Comets". NASA/JPL Asteroid Radar Research. Retrieved 30 October 2011.