Astronomy:823 Sisigambis

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823 Sisigambis
Discovery
Discovered byMax Wolf
Discovery siteHeidelberg
Discovery date31 March 1916
Designations
(823) Sisigambis
Pronunciation/sɪsɪˈɡæmbɪs/[1]
1916 ZG; A913 JB;
1937 QE; 1939 FA1;
1969 FN
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc100.04 yr (36540 d)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.4213 astronomical unit|AU (362.22 Gm)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}2.0211 AU (302.35 Gm)
2.2212 AU (332.29 Gm)
Eccentricity0.090088
Orbital period3.31 yr (1209.2 d)
Mean anomaly176.61°
Mean motion0° 17m 51.828s / day
Inclination3.6456°
Longitude of ascending node255.028°
218.602°
Earth MOID1.03763 AU (155.227 Gm)
Jupiter MOID2.65835 AU (397.683 Gm)
TJupiter3.641
Physical characteristics
Mean radius8.315±0.7 km
Rotation period146 h (6.1 d)
Geometric albedo0.1793±0.034
Absolute magnitude (H)11.2


823 Sisigambis is an asteroid belonging to the Flora family in the Main Belt. Its diameter is about 17 km, and it has an albedo of 0.179.[3] Its rotation period is unknown but appears to be greater than at least 12 hours.[4][5] The asteroid is named after Sisygambis, the mother of Darius III of Persia.

Captured by Alexander the Great at the Battle of Issus, Sisygambis became devoted to him, and Alexander referred to her as "mother". Having learned of Alexander's death, she had become depressed and had herself sealed into her rooms and refused to eat. She is said to have died of grief and starvation four days later.[6][7]

References

  1. Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  2. "823 Sisigambis (1916 ZG)". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=823;cad=1. 
  3. Psi.edu
  4. "Asteroid Lightcurve Parameters". http://www.psi.edu/pds/archive/lc.html. 
  5. Adsabs.harvard.edu
  6. Chugg, Andrew (2007). The Quest for the Tomb of Alexander the Great. Lulu.com. p. 25. ISBN 978-0-9556790-0-1. 
  7. Heckel, Waldemar (2006), "Sisygambis", Who's Who in the Age of Alexander the Great: A Prosopography of Alexander's Empire, Malden, MA: Blackwell Publishing, p. 116, ISBN 1405112107 .