125 Liberatrix
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A three-dimensional model of 125 Liberatrix based on its light curve.
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Paul Henry and Prosper Henry |
| Discovery date | September 11, 1872 |
| Designations | |
| Main belt (liberatrix) |
|
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5) | |
| Aphelion | 443.561 Gm (2.965 AU) |
| Perihelion | 376.865 Gm (2.519 AU) |
| 410.213 Gm (2.742 AU) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.081 |
| 1658.534 d (4.54 a) | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
17.96 km/s |
| 267.835° | |
| Inclination | 4.656° |
| 169.160° | |
| 110.210° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 61.058[2] km |
| Mass | 8.7×1016 kg |
|
Mean density
|
2.0 g/cm³ |
| 0.0122 m/s² | |
| 0.0231 km/s | |
| 3.968[3] h | |
| Albedo | 0.1305 ± 0.0269[2] |
| Temperature | ~168 K |
|
Spectral type
|
M (Tholen)[2] |
| 8.90[2] | |
125 Liberatrix is a main-belt asteroid. It has a relatively reflective surface and an M-type spectrum. Liberatrix is a member of an asteroid family bearing its own name.
Discovery and name
It was discovered by Prosper Henry on September 11, 1872, from Paris. Some sources give Paul Henry sole credit for its discovery.[4] The asteroid's name is a feminine version of the word "liberator". Henry may have chosen the name to mark the liberation of France from Prussia during the Franco-Prussian War in 1870. More specifically, it may honor Adolphe Thiers, the first President of the French Republic, who arranged a loan that enabled the Prussian troops to be removed from France.[4]
Observations
In the late 1990s, a network of astronomers worldwide gathered lightcurve data to derive the spin states and shape models of 10 asteroids, including Liberatrix. Liberatrix's lightcurve has a large amplitude of 0.4 in magnitude, indicating an elongated or irregular shape.[3][5]
The spectrum of this asteroid matches a M-type asteroid. It may be the remnant of an asteroid that had undergone differentiation, with orthopyroxene minerals scattered evenly across the surface. There is no indication of hydration.[6]
To date, there have been at least two observed occultations by Liberatrix. Early on December 11, 2014, Liberatrix will occult a 9th magnitude star and will be visible over the majority of Southern California and a swath of Mexico.
References
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Schmadel Lutz D. Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (fifth edition), Springer, 2003. ISBN 3-540-00238-3.
- ↑ Durech, J.; Kaasalainen, M.; Marciniak, A.; Allen, W. H. et al. "Asteroid brightness and geometry," Astronomy and Astrophysics, Volume 465, Issue 1, April I 2007, pp. 331-337.
- ↑ Lua error in package.lua at line 80: module 'strict' not found.
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