81 Terpsichore

81 Terpsichore
Discovery
Discovered by Ernst Wilhelm Tempel
Discovery date September 30, 1864
Designations
MPC designation (81) Terpsichore
Pronunciation /tərpˈsɪkəriː/
tərp-SIK-ə-ree
Named after
 Terpsichore
Main belt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion 516.955 Gm (3.456 AU)
Perihelion 337.132 Gm (2.254 AU)
427.044 Gm (2.855 AU)
Eccentricity 0.211
1761.647 d (4.82 a)
17.43 km/s
149.581°
Inclination 7.809°
1.497°
50.234°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 121.77 ± 2.34 km[1]
Mass (6.19 ± 5.31) × 1018 kg[1]
Mean density
 6.54 ± 5.62 g/cm3[1]
10.943 hr
0.051 [2]
C
8.48

    81 Terpsichore (/tərpˈsɪkəriː/ tərp-SIK-ə-ree) is a large and very dark main-belt asteroid. It has most probably a very primitive carbonaceous composition. It was found by the prolific comet discoverer Ernst Tempel on September 30, 1864.[3] It is named after Terpsichore, the Muse of dance in Greek mythology.

    Photometric observations of the minor planet in 2011 gave a rotation period of 10.945±0.001 h with an amplitude of 0.09±0.01 in magnitude. This result is consistent with previous determinations.[4] Two stellar occultation events involving this asteroid were observed from multiple sites in 2009. The resulting chords matched a smooth elliptical cross-section with dimensions of 134.0±4.0 km × 108.9±0.7 km.[5]

    A space station orbiting 81 Terpsichore is the main setting in the science fiction story The Dark Colony (Asteroid Police Book 1) by Richard Penn.

    References

    1. 1 2 3 Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, 73, pp. 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
    2. ↑ Asteroid Data Sets Archived 2010-01-17 at WebCite
    3. ↑ Tempel, M. (November 1864), "Minor Planet 81 Terpsichore discovered", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 25: 31, Bibcode:1864MNRAS..25...31T.
    4. ↑ Pilcher, Frederick (July 2011), "Rotation Period Determinations for 28 Bellona, 81 Terpsichore, 126 Velleda 150 Nuwa, 161 Athor, 419 Aurelia, and 632 Pyrrha", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 38 (3): 156−158, Bibcode:2011MPBu...38..156P.
    5. ↑ Timerson, Brad; Durech, J.; Pilcher, F.; Albers, J.; Beard, T.; Berger, B.; Berman, B.; Breit, D.; Case, T.; Collier, D.; Dantowitz, R.; Davies, T.; Desmarais, V.; Dunham, D.; Dunham, J.; Garlitz, J.; Garrett, L.; George, T.; Hill, M.; Hughes, Z.; Jacobson, G.; Kozubal, M.; Liu, Y.; Maley, P.; Morgan, W.; Morris, P.; Mroz, G.; Pool, S.; Preston, S.; Shelton, R.; Welch, S.; Westfall, J.; Whitman, A.; Wiggins, P. (October 2010), "Occultations by 81 Terpsichore and 694 Ekard in 2009 at Different Rotational Phase Angles", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 37 (4): 140−142, Bibcode:2010MPBu...37..140T.


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