| 381 Myrrha photographed in the constellation of Leo, with Messier 65, Messier 66 and NGC 3628 nearby | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Auguste Charlois |
| Discovery date | 10 January 1894 |
| Designations | |
| (381) Myrrha | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɪrə,ˈmɜːrə/ |
Named after | Myrrha |
| 1894 AS | |
| Main belt | |
| Symbol | |
| Orbital characteristics [1] | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 122.27 yr (44658 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.5124 AU (525.45 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.93357 AU (438.856 Gm) |
| 3.22298 AU (482.151 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.089797 |
| 5.79 yr (2113.4 d) | |
| 350.739° | |
| 0° 10m 13.224s / day | |
| Inclination | 12.558° |
| 125.102° | |
| 142.930° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 120.58±2.7 km [1] 147.2×126.6 km 123.41 ± 6.30 km [2] |
| Mass | (9.18 ± 0.80) × 1018 kg [2] |
Mean density | 9.32 ± 1.64 g/cm3 [2] |
| 6.572 h (0.2738 d) | |
| 0.0609±0.003 | |
| C | |
| 8.25 | |
381 Myrrha is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by the French astronomer Auguste Charlois on January 10, 1894, in Nice. [3] It has been classified as a C-type asteroid and is most likely composed of carbonaceous material.
Photometric observations of this asteroid at the Oakley Observatory in Terre Haute, Indiana during 2006 gave a light curve with a period of 6.572 ± 0.002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.34 ± 0.05 in magnitude. [4]
10μ radiometric data collected from Kitt Peak in 1975 gave a diameter estimate of 126 km. [5] The occultation of Alhena (γ Geminorum) by Myrrha was observed in Japan and China on January 13, 1991, allowing the size and shape of Myrrha to be properly clarified.