379 Huenna

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379 Huenna
379 Huenna Keck II 4x60s median annotated.png
Huenna and its moon imaged by the Keck II telescope on 14 August 2003
Discovery [1]
Discovered by Auguste Charlois
Discovery site Nice Observatory
Discovery date8 January 1894
Designations
(379) Huenna
Pronunciation /hjuːˈɛnə/
Named after
 Ven, Sweden
A894 AA ·A895 DB ·A911 BA ·1948 XM [a]
Main belt (Themis)
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 21 November 2025 (JD 2461000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc 131.81 yr (48145 d)
Aphelion 3.7044  AU (554.17  Gm)
Perihelion 2.5793 AU (385.86 Gm)
3.1419 AU (470.02 Gm)
Eccentricity 0.1791
5.5692 yr (2034.2 d)
6.5320°
0° 10m 38.82s / day
Inclination 1.6710°
171.847°
180.977°
Known satellites 1
Jupiter  MOID 1.7266 AU (258.30 Gm)
TJupiter 3.184
Physical characteristics
87.5±8.2 km [5] : 3–4 
Mass 5.22×1017 kg (system mass) [6] : 6 
Mean density
1.491±0.249 g/cm3 [5] : 3–4 
14.141  h (0.5892  d) [1]
0.046 [1]
B-type (Tholen) [1]
C-type (SMASSII) [7]
8.87 [1]

    379 Huenna is a large asteroid located in the main asteroid belt. It was discovered by Auguste Charlois on 8 January 1984 at Nice Observatory, and was named after the island of Ven. Classified as a primitive B-type or C-type asteroid, it is a member of the Themis family. It is estimated to be roughly 87.5 kilometres (54.4 mi) in diameter, rotating once ever 14.14 hours.

    Contents

    Huenna has one known moon. The moon, which is currently unnamed, was discovered on 14 August 2003 by Jean-Luc Margot at Keck Observatory. It orbits Huenna on a wide and eccentric 80-day orbit, suggesting that it may be a captured object.

    Discovery and naming

    Huenna was discovered on 8 January 1894 by astronomer Auguste Charlois at Nice observatory. Its discovery was announced in the journal Astronomische Nachrichten on 17 January, under the old-style provisional designation 1894 AQ. [8] By 1902, [9] : 290  the asteroid was given the name Huenna. The name is the Latin form of Hven , an archaic spelling of an island between Denmark and Sweden. Astronomer Tycho Brahe observed for more than 20 years on the island, [10] : 44  eventually directing the construction of two observatories there in 1576–1596, Uraniborg and Stjerneborg. [11]

    In 1925, the old-style scheme for minor planet provisional designations was replaced by the system currently in use. The Minor Planet Center (MPC) has since retroactively applied the new system to old-style provisional designations. [12] Thus, Huenna's provisional designation given upon its discovery was changed to A894 AA. [1]

    Orbit

    Diagram showing Huenna's orbit between Mars and Jupiter 379 Huenna orbit.png
    Diagram showing Huenna's orbit between Mars and Jupiter

    Huenna orbits the Sun at an average distance—its semi-major axis—of 3.14 astronomical units (AU), placing it in the main asteroid belt. Along its 5.57 year long orbit, its distance from the Sun varies from 2.58 AU at perihelion to 3.70 AU at aphelion due to its orbital eccentricity of 0.18. Its orbit is inclined by 1.67° with respect to the ecliptic plane. [1] It is categorized as a member of the Themis family, [13] : 678  an asteroid family located in the outer main belt whose largest member and namesake is 24 Themis. The Themis family is thought to have originated from the catastrophic disruption of a ~270 kilometres (170 mi) or 400 kilometres (250 mi) sized object roughly 2.5±1.0 billion years (Gyr) ago. [14] : 1 

    Physical characteristics

    Huenna's diameter is estimated to be approximately 87.5 ± 8.2 kilometres (54.4 ± 5.1 mi), with a system mass of roughly 5.22×1017 kg and a derived density of 1.491±0.249 g/cm3. [5] : 3–4  [6] : 6  Its lightcurve, or variations in its observed brightness as it rotates, suggests that it has a rotation period of about 14.14 hours; [15] its axial tilt is unknown. [5] : 4 

    Huenna is classified as a primitive B-type asteroid under the Tholen classification scheme and a C-type asteroid under the Small Main-belt Asteroid Spectroscopic Survey, Phase II (SMASSII) classification scheme. A 2022 study of its spectrum led by V. V. Busarev supported its B-type classification but conflicted with its C-type classification. The apparent deviation from a typical C-type spectrum may be caused by the sublimation of icy material from Huenna's surface, creating a faint dusty coma that scatters light. [16] : 95  It has a geometric albedo of 0.046. [1]

    Satellite

    S/2003 (379) 1
    Discovery [17]
    Discovered by Jean-Luc Margot
    Discovery site W. M. Keck Observatory, Hawaii, United States
    Discovery date14 August 2003
    Orbital characteristics [5] : 4 
    Observation arc 4133 d
    3487.9±41.4 km
    Eccentricity 0.283±0.01
    80.216±0.015 d
    Inclination 151.19±0.68°
    204.53±1.19°
    278.9±1.5°
    Physical characteristics
    3.72±0.6 km
    Spectral type
    		 C-complex or
    X-complex [13] : 680 

    Huenna has one known natural satellite, designated S/2003 (379) 1. It was discovered on 14 August 2003 by astronomer Jean-Luc Margot using the 10-m Keck II telescope at Mauna Kea. The satellite's discovery was announced the next day in an International Astronomical Union Circular. [17] It is currently unnamed. [1]

    S/2003 (379) 1 orbits Huenna with a semi-major axis of 3,487.9 ± 41.4 kilometres (2,167.3 ± 25.7 mi), taking 80.216 days to complete one revolution. It has an eccentric orbit, with an orbital eccentricity of 0.283±0.01, and its orbit is inclined by 151.19±0.68° with respect to the ecliptic. [5] : 4  It is loosely bound to Huenna as their mutual separation is roughly half of Huenna's Hill radius. [18] [19] : 307 

    S/2003 (379) 1 has an estimated diameter of 3.72 ± 0.6 kilometres (2.31 ± 0.37 mi), making it one of the smallest known satellites of a large (> 50 km; 31 mi) asteroid. [5] : 4  Its spectrum is consistent with a C-complex or X-complex categorization; the former encompasses the B-type and various C-subtypes, while the latter encompasses X-, Xc-, Xe-, and Xk-types. [13] : 680  Small moons of large asteroids are thought to form in giant collisions, and as a result tend to have circular, coplanar, close-in orbits. However, S/2003 (379) 1's distant and eccentric orbit suggests a different origin and evolution. [5] : 4  One potential origin is through capture, where S/2003 (379) 1 was once another Themis member asteroid or an interloper. [13] : 678 

    Notes

    1. ↑ The MPC notates Huenna's retroactive new-style designations as 1894 AA, 1895 DB, and 1911 BA. [2] Its old-style designations were 1894 AQ, 1895 BR, [3] : 249  and 1911 LE. [4] : 297 

    References

    1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 "JPL Small-Body Database Lookup: 379 Huenna (A894 AA)". Jet Propulsion Laboratory. 2025-11-04 last obs. Retrieved 7 November 2025.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: url-status (link)
    2. ↑ "(379) Huenna = 1894 AA = 1895 DB = 1911 BA = 1948 XM". Minor Planet Center . Retrieved 6 November 2025.
    3. ↑ "Notes on some Points connected with the Progress of Astronomy during the Past Year". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 56 (5): 249–288. 14 February 1896. doi: 10.1093/mnras/56.5.249 .
    4. ↑ "Notes on some Points connected with the Progress of Astronomy during the Past Year". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 72 (4): 296–345. 9 February 1912. doi: 10.1093/mnras/72.4.296 .
    5. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Vachier, Frédéric; Carry, Benoit; Berthier, Jérôme (August 2022). "Dynamics of the binary asteroid (379) Huenna". Icarus. 382. Bibcode:2022Icar..38215013V. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2022.115013. 115013.
    6. 1 2 Varfolomeev, M. I.; Emelyanov, N. V. (July 2025). "Masses of binary asteroid systems with strong solar perturbations". Icarus. 434. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2025.116546. 116546.
    7. ↑ Jim Baer (12 December 2010). "Recent Asteroid Mass Determinations". Personal Website. Archived from the original on 2 July 2013. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
    8. ↑ "Entdeckung von drei nenen Planeten 1894 AQ, AR, AS". Astronomische Nachrichten. 134: 247. 17 January 1894. Bibcode:1894AN....134Q.247.
    9. ↑ "Notes on some Points connected with the Progress of Astronomy during the Past Year". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society. 62 (4): 289–322. 10 January 1902. doi: 10.1093/mnras/62.4.289 .
    10. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz (2003), Dictionary of minor planet names, vol. 1, Springer, p. 68, ISBN   9783540002383.
    11. ↑ Christianson, John Robert (2000). On Tycho's Island . Cambridge University Press. ISBN   052165081X.
    12. ↑ "Provisional Designations". Minor Planets Center. Retrieved 5 November 2025.
    13. 1 2 3 4 DeMeo, Francesca E.; et al. (April 2011). "A spectral comparison of (379) Huenna and its satellite". Icarus. 212 (2): 677–681. arXiv: 1102.1623 . Bibcode:2011Icar..212..677D. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2011.02.002.
    14. ↑ Marsset, M.; Vernazza, P.; Birlan, M.; DeMeo, F.; Binzel, R. P.; Dumas, C.; Milli, J.; Popescu, M. (February 2016). "Compositional characterisation of the Themis family". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 586. arXiv: 1601.02405 . Bibcode:2016A&A...586A..15M. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201526962. A15.
    15. ↑ Warner, Brian D. (July 2010). "Asteroid Lightcurve Analysis at the Palmer Divide Observatory: 2009 December – 2010 March". The Minor Planet Bulletin. 37 (3): 112–118. Bibcode:2010MPBu...37..112W.
    16. ↑ Busarev, V. V.; Savelova, A. A.; Shcherbina, M. P.; Barabanov, S. I. (April 2022). "Spectral Signs of Simultaneous Sublimation Activity and the Appearance of a Dust Exosphere on Eight Asteroids of the Main Belt Near Perihelion". Solar System Research. 56 (2): 84–99. Bibcode:2022SoSyR..56...84B. doi:10.1134/S0038094622020022.
    17. 1 2 "IAUC 8182: S/2003 (379) 1; 2003he, 2003hf; C/2003 H1; C/2001 Q4". IAU Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams. 15 August 2003. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
    18. ↑ Franck Marchis (May 2005). "379 Huenna and S/2003 (379) 1". UCB. Retrieved 3 February 2012.
    19. ↑ Marchis, Franck; P. Descamps; J. Berthier; D. hestroffer; F. vachier; M. Baek; et al. (2008). "Main Belt Binary Asteroidal Systems With Eccentric Mutual Orbits". Icarus. 195 (1): 295–316. arXiv: 0804.1385 . Bibcode:2008Icar..195..295M. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2007.12.010. S2CID   119244052.
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