| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Viktor Knorre |
| Discovery date | 13 October 1887 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (271) Penthesilea |
| Pronunciation | /ˌpɛnθɪsɪˈliːə/[1] |
Named after | Πενθεσίλεια |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 112.35 yr (41037 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.3147 AU (495.87 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.69235 AU (402.770 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 3.0035 AU (449.32 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.10361 |
| 5.21 yr (1901.3 d) | |
| 243.905° | |
| 0° 11m 21.624s / day | |
| Inclination | 3.5395° |
| 335.367° | |
| 58.345° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 57.93±3.3 km |
| 18.787 h (0.7828 d)[2][3] | |
| 0.0633±0.008 | |
| 9.80 | |
Penthesilea (minor planet designation: 271 Penthesilea) is a large main belt asteroid that was discovered by Viktor Knorre on 13 October 1887 in Berlin. It was his last asteroid discovery. The asteroid was named after Penthesilea, the mythical Greek queen of the Amazons.[4]
Photometric observations of this asteroid were made in early 2009 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico. The resulting light curve shows a synodic rotation period of 18.787 ± 0.001 hours with a brightness variation of 0.32 ± 0.04 in magnitude.[3]
References
- ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
- ^ a b Yeomans, Donald K., "271 Penthesilea", JPL Small-Body Database Browser, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, retrieved 11 May 2016.
- ^ a b Pilcher, Frederick (July 2009), "Rotation Period Determinations for 120 Lachesis, 131 Vala 157 Dejanira, and 271 Penthesilea", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 36 (3), pp. 100–102, Bibcode:2009MPBu...36..100P.
- ^ Schmadel, Lutz D.; International Astronomical Union (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names. Berlin; New York: Springer-Verlag. p. 39. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.
External links
- 271 Penthesilea at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 271 Penthesilea at the JPL Small-Body Database
