Discovery | |
---|---|
Discovered by | Paul Henry and Prosper Henry |
Discovery date | 11 September 1872 |
Designations | |
(125) Liberatrix | |
Pronunciation | /ˈlɪbəreɪtrɪks/ [1] |
A872 RA; 1902 EG; 1943 FE; 1949 OE1; 1949 SM; 1954 TD1 | |
Main belt (liberatrix) | |
Orbital characteristics [2] | |
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
Observation arc | 143.54 yr (52428 d) |
Aphelion | 2.95698 AU (442.358 Gm) |
Perihelion | 2.53084 AU (378.608 Gm) |
2.74391 AU (410.483 Gm) | |
Eccentricity | 0.077651 |
4.55 yr (1660.2 d) | |
Average orbital speed | 17.96 km/s |
307.971° | |
0° 13m 0.642s / day | |
Inclination | 4.66407° |
169.003° | |
109.288° | |
Earth MOID | 1.51912 AU (227.257 Gm) |
Jupiter MOID | 2.13019 AU (318.672 Gm) |
TJupiter | 3.340 |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 43.58±2.3 km [2] 61.058 km [3] |
Mass | 8.7×1016 kg |
Mean density | 2.0 g/cm3 |
Equatorial surface gravity | 0.0122 m/s2 |
Equatorial escape velocity | 0.0231 km/s |
3.968 h (0.1653 d) [2] [4] | |
0.2253±0.026 [2] 0.1305 ± 0.0269 [3] | |
Temperature | ~168 K |
M (Tholen) [3] | |
9.04, [2] 8.90 [3] | |
Liberatrix (minor planet designation: 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.
It was discovered by Prosper Henry on 11 September 1872, from Paris. Some sources give Paul Henry sole credit for its discovery. [5] 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. [5]
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. [4] [6]
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. [7]
To date, there have been at least two observed occultations by Liberatrix. Early on 11 December 2014, Liberatrix occulted a 9th magnitude star and will be visible over the majority of Southern California and a swath of Mexico.[ citation needed ]
Iris is a large main-belt asteroid and possible remnant planetesimal orbiting the Sun between Mars and Jupiter. It is the fourth-brightest object in the asteroid belt. 7 Iris is classified as an S-type asteroid, meaning that it has a stony composition.
Lydia is a large belt asteroid with an M-type spectrum, and thus may be metallic in composition, consisting primarily of nickel-iron. It was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on 19 April 1870 and was named for Lydia, the Asia Minor country populated by Phrygians. The Lydia family of asteroids is named after it.
Elektra is a large outer main-belt asteroid and quadruple system with three minor-planet moons. It was discovered on 17 February 1873, by astronomer Christian Peters at Litchfield Observatory, New York, and named after Electra, an avenger in Greek mythology.
Austria is a main-belt asteroid that was found by the prolific asteroid discoverer Johann Palisa on 18 March 1874, from the Austrian Naval Observatory in Pola, Istria. It was his first asteroid discovery and was given the Latin name of his homeland.
Atala is a large main belt asteroid that was discovered by brothers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry on 2 November 1875, but the discovery was credited to Paul. It is a type D asteroid, meaning that it is composed of carbon, organic rich silicates and possibly water ice.
165 Loreley is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on August 9, 1876, in Clinton, New York and named after the Lorelei, a figure in German folklore.
196 Philomela is a large and bright main-belt asteroid. It is an S-type asteroid.
Bianca is a sizeable Main belt asteroid. It is an S-type asteroid. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 4 September 1880, in Pola and was named after the Austro-Hungarian opera singer Bianca Bianchi. The Vienna newspapers contained several published accounts of the circumstances surrounding the honor extended to the diva in Spring 1882. In the late 1990s, a network of astronomers worldwide gathered lightcurve data that was ultimately used to derive the spin states and shape models of ten new asteroids, including (218) Bianca. The shape model for this asteroid is asymmetrical.
Hypatia is a very large main-belt asteroid that was discovered by Russian astronomer Viktor Knorre on July 1, 1884, in Berlin. It was the third of his four asteroid discoveries. The name was given in honour of philosopher Hypatia of Alexandria. Based upon the spectrum, it is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material. Like many asteroids of this type, its surface is very dark in colour.
Unitas is a typical main belt asteroid that was discovered by Elia Millosevich on 1 March 1891 in Rome. The asteroid was named by the director of the Modena Observatory in honor of the Italian astronomer Angelo Secchi and the unification of Italy. It is classified as an S-type asteroid.
Polyxo is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by A. Borrelly on March 31, 1891, in Marseilles. It is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.75 AU with a low orbital eccentricity (ovalness) of 0.04 and a period of 4.56 yr. The orbital plane is tilted at an angle of 4.36° to the plane of the ecliptic.
391 Ingeborg is an asteroid and second-largest Mars-crosser on an eccentric orbit from the asteroid belt. It was discovered by German astronomer Max Wolf on 1 November 1894, at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. When discovered, it was observed for a couple of weeks, and follow-up observations were made in 1901 and 1904. The stony S-type asteroid has a rotation period of 26.4 hours and measures approximately 17 kilometers in diameter. Any reference of the asteroid's name to a person is unknown.
Diotima is one of the larger main-belt asteroids. It is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material.
776 Berbericia is a minor planet orbiting the Sun. A main-belt C-type asteroid, it was discovered on 24 January 1914 by astronomer Adam Massinger at Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany. It was named by Max Wolf in honor of Adolf Berberich (1861–1920), a German astronomer. The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration.
881 Athene is a stony background asteroid from the central region of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 22 July 1917, by astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany. The likely elongated S/L-type asteroid has a rotation period of 13.9 hours and measures approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. It was named after Athena, the goddess of wisdom in Greek mythology.
1143 Odysseus, provisional designation 1930 BH, is a large Jupiter trojan located in the Greek camp of Jupiter's orbit. It was discovered on 28 January 1930, by German astronomer Karl Reinmuth at the Heidelberg Observatory in southwest Germany, and later named after Odysseus, the legendary hero from Greek mythology. The dark D-type asteroid has a rotation period of 10.1 hours. With a diameter of approximately 125 kilometers, it is among the 10 largest Jovian trojans.
1088 Mitaka is a bright background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 17 November 1927, by Japanese astronomer Okuro Oikawa at the old Tokyo Astronomical Observatory in Japan. The stony S-type asteroid has a notably short rotation period of 3.0 hours and measures approximately 15 kilometers in diameter. It was named after the Japanese village of Mitaka.
1188 Gothlandia, provisional designation 1930 SB, is a stony Florian asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 12 kilometers in diameter. Discovered by astronomer Josep Comas i Solà at the Fabra Observatory in 1930, the asteroid was later named after the ancient name of the Spanish autonomous community of Catalonia.
1366 Piccolo, provisional designation 1932 WA, is an asteroid from the background population of the outer asteroid belt, approximately 28 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 29 November 1932, by astronomer Eugène Delporte at the Royal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle. The asteroid was named after Auguste Cauvin, chief-editor of the Belgian newspaper Le Soir.
1619 Ueta, provisional designation 1953 TA, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 11 October 1953, by Japanese astronomer Tetsuyasu Mitani at Kyoto University's Kwasan Observatory, near Kyoto, Japan. It was named after the former director of the discovering observatory.