Astronomy:34 Circe

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Short description: Main-belt asteroid
34 Circe
34Circe (Lightcurve Inversion).png
A three-dimensional model of 34 Circe based on its light curve
Discovery
Discovered byJ. Chacornac
Discovery dateApril 6, 1855
Designations
Designation
(34) Circe
Pronunciation/ˈsɜːrs/[1]
Named afterCirce
1965 JL
Minor planet categoryMain belt
AdjectivesCircean /sərˈsən/[2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch November 4, 2013 (JD 2456600.5)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.967739 AU
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.406230 AU
2.686984 AU
Eccentricity0.1045
Orbital period4.40 a (1607.332 d)
Average Orbital speed18.12 km/s
Mean anomaly39.80474°
Inclination5.498°
Longitude of ascending node184.44157°
330.2330°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions113.02 ± 4.90 km[4]
Mass(3.66 ± 0.03) × 1018 kg[4]
Mean density4.83 ± 0.63 g/cm3[4]
~0.0317 m/s²
~0.0600 km/s
Rotation period0.5063 d (12.15 h) [3]
Albedo0.0541 [3]
Physics~172 K
Spectral type
C
Absolute magnitude (H)8.51


Circe, minor planet designation 34 Circe, is a large, very dark main-belt asteroid. It was discovered by French astronomer J. Chacornac on April 6, 1855, and named after Circe, the bewitching queen of Aeaea island in Greek mythology.

The spectrum of this object matches a C-type asteroid, suggesting a carbonaceous composition. It has a cross-section size of 113 km and is orbiting the Sun with a period of 4.40 years. Photometric observations of this asteroid made during 2007 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico gave an asymmetrical bimodal light curve with a period of 12.176 ± 0.002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.17 ± 0.02 in magnitude.[5] The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration.[6]

References

  1. "Circe". Circe. Oxford University Press. http://www.lexico.com/definition/Circe. 
  2. Circean (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Circean  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. 3.0 3.1 3.2 Yeomans, Donald K., "34 Circe", JPL Small-Body Database Browser (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=34, retrieved 2013-12-21. 
  4. 4.0 4.1 4.2 Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science 73 (1): 98–118, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009, Bibcode2012P&SS...73...98C.  See Table 1.
  5. Pilcher, Frederick (September 2008), "Period Determinations for 26 Proserpina, 34 Circe 74 Galatea, 143 Adria, 272 Antonia, 419 Aurelia, and 557 Violetta", The Minor Planet Bulletin 35 (3): 135–138, Bibcode2008MPBu...35..135P. 
  6. Fornasier, S. et al. (February 1999), "Spectroscopic comparison of aqueous altered asteroids with CM2 carbonaceous chondrite meteorites", Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement 135: 65−73, doi:10.1051/aas:1999161, Bibcode1999A&AS..135...65F, https://ui.adsabs.harvard.edu/link_gateway/1999A&AS..135...65F/PUB_PDF. 

External links