A three-dimensional model of 72 Feronia based on its light curve.
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|
Discovery | |
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Discovered by | Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters |
Discovery date | May 29, 1861 |
Designations | |
MPC designation | (72) Feronia |
Main belt | |
Orbital characteristics | |
Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5) | |
Aphelion | 379.895 Gm (2.539 AU) |
Perihelion | 298.159 Gm (1.993 AU) |
339.027 Gm (2.266 AU) | |
Eccentricity | 0.121 |
1246.123 d (3.41 a) | |
Average orbital speed
|
19.71 km/s |
146.950° | |
Inclination | 5.417° |
208.137° | |
102.608° | |
Physical characteristics | |
Dimensions | 83.95 ± 4.02 km |
Mass | (3.32 ± 8.49) × 1018 kg |
Mean density
|
10.71 ± 27.44 g/cm3 |
0.0241 m/s² | |
0.0455 km/s | |
Albedo | 0.063 |
Temperature | ~185 K |
Spectral type
|
TDG |
8.94 | |
72 Feronia (/fəˈroʊniə/ fə-ROH-nee-ə) is a quite large and dark main belt asteroid. It was the first asteroid discovery by C. H. F. Peters, on May 29, 1861 from Hamilton College, New York State. It was initially thought that Peters had merely seen the already known asteroid 66 Maja, but T.H. Safford showed that it was a new body. Safford named it after Feronia, a Roman fertility goddess.