• Source: 464 Megaira

464 Megaira (prov. designation: A901 AB or 1901 FV) is a dark and large background asteroid, approximately 77 kilometers (48 miles) in diameter, located in the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered by astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany on 9 January 1901. The carbonaceous C-type asteroid (FX) has a rotation period of 12.9 hours. It was named after Megaera from Greek mythology.




Orbit and classification


Megaira is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements. It orbits the Sun in the central asteroid belt at a distance of 2.2–3.4 AU once every 4 years and 8 months (1,712 days; semi-major axis of 2.8 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.21 and an inclination of 10° with respect to the ecliptic. The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg Observatory with its official discovery observation on 9 January 1901.




Naming


This minor planet was named after Megaera, the avenging spirit from Greek mythology. She is one of the three Erinyes (Furies), who bring retribution on those guilty of sins. The naming was also mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 50). It was the first numbered minor planet detected in the 20th century.




Physical characteristics


In the Tholen classification-SMASS classification, Megaira is closest to a dark F-type asteroid, and somewhat similar to an X-type, though with an unusual (U) and noisy spectra (:). In the Bus–Binzel SMASS classification it is a common carbonaceous C-type asteroid.




= Rotation period

=
In March 2019, a rotational lightcurve of Megaira was obtained from photometric observations by Frederick Pilcher. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-defined rotation period of 12.879±0.001 hours with a brightness variation of 0.12±0.01 magnitude (U=3). The result supersedes previously published period determinations.




= Diameter and albedo

=
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical Satellite IRAS, the Japanese Akari satellite and the NEOWISE mission of NASA's Wide-field Infrared Survey Explorer, Megaira measures between 55.09 and 85.50 kilometers in diameter and its surface has an albedo between 0.03 and 0.06. The Collaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link takes an albedo of 0.0469 from Petr Pravec's revised WISE data and calculates a diameter of 78.29 kilometers based on an absolute magnitude of 9.47.




References






External links


Lightcurve Database Query (LCDB), at www.minorplanet.info
Dictionary of Minor Planet Names, Google books
Asteroids and comets rotation curves, CdR – Geneva Observatory, Raoul Behrend
Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000) – Minor Planet Center
464 Megaira at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
464 Megaira at the JPL Small-Body Database

Kata Kunci Pencarian:

• 464 Megaira
• Megaera
• Megaera (disambiguation)
• List of minor planets: 1–1000
• Meanings of minor-planet names: 1–1000
• Max Wolf
• 465 Alekto
• List of named minor planets: 1–999
• List of named minor planets: M
• 463 Lola