Thetis (asteroid)
Star field showing asteroid Thetis in the center
|
|
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | R. Luther |
| Discovery site | Düsseldorf-Bilk Obs. |
| Discovery date | 17 April 1852 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (17) Thetis |
| Pronunciation | /ˈθiːtɪs/ (THEE-tis) |
|
Named after
|
Thetis (Greek mythology) |
|
1954 SO1 · A913 CA A916 YF |
|
| main-belt · (inner) | |
| Adjectives | Thetidian |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 16 February 2017 (JD 2457800.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 164.55 yr (60,102 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.7987 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.1436 AU |
| 2.4712 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1325 |
| 3.88 yr (1,419 days) | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
18.87 km/s |
| 100.44° | |
| 0° 15m 13.32s / day | |
| Inclination | 5.5902° |
| 125.56° | |
| 136.10° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions |
84.899±2.027 90±3.7km (IRAS) 93.335±2.627 |
| Mass | 1.2×1018 kg |
|
Mean density
|
3.21±0.92 g/cm³ |
| 12.27048±0.00001 | |
| 0.193±0.028 | |
|
B–V = 0.829 U–B = 0.438 S (Tholen) Sl (SMASS) · S |
|
| 7.76 · 7.85 | |
17 Thetis (THEE-tis), provisional designation A913 CA, is a stony asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, approximately 90 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 17 April 1852, by German astronomer Robert Luther at Bilk Observatory in Düsseldorf, Germany. He named his first asteroid discovery after Thetis from Greek mythology.
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.1–2.8 AU once every 3 years and 11 months (1,419 days). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.13 and an inclination of 6° with respect to the ecliptic.
The spectrum of this object indicates that it is an S-type asteroid with both low and high calcium forms of pyroxene on the surface, along with less than 20% olivine. The high-calcium form of pyroxene forms 40% or more of the total pyroxene present, indicating a history of igneous rock deposits. This suggests that the asteroid underwent differentiation by melting, creating a surface of basalt rock.
The mass of Thetis has been calculated from perturbations by 4 Vesta and 11 Parthenope. In 2007, Baer and Chesley calculated Thetis to have a mass of 1.2×1018 kg with a density of 3.21 g/cm³.
One Thetidian stellar occultation was observed from Oregon in 1999. However, the event was not timed.
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