81 Terpsichore

81 Terpsichore
Discovery
Discovered by	Ernst Wilhelm Tempel
Discovery date	September 30, 1864
Designations
MPC designation	(81) Terpsichore
Pronunciation	/tɜːrpˈsɪxərɛ/[1]
Named after	Terpsichore
Minor planet category	Main belt
Adjectives	Terpsichorean /tɜːrpsɪxəˈriːən/[1]
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion	516.955 Gm (3.456 AU)
Perihelion	337.132 Gm (2.254 AU)
Semi-major axis	427.044 Gm (2.855 AU)
Eccentricity	0.211
Orbital period	1761.647 d (4.82 a)
Average orbital speed	17.43 km/s
Mean anomaly	149.581°
Inclination	7.809°
Longitude of ascending node	1.497°
Argument of perihelion	50.234°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	121.77 ± 2.34 km[2]
Mass	(6.19 ± 5.31) × 1018 kg[2]
Mean density	6.54 ± 5.62 g/cm3[2]
Rotation period	10.943 hr
Geometric albedo	0.051 [3]
Spectral type	C
Absolute magnitude (H)	8.48

Terpsichore (minor planet designation: 81 Terpsichore) 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.[4] 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.[5] 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.[6]

In popular culture

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

"Terpsichore". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
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.
Asteroid Data Sets Archived 2009-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
Tempel, M. (November 1864), "Minor Planet 81 Terpsichore discovered", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 25: 31, Bibcode:1864MNRAS..25...31T.
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.
Timerson, Brad; Durech, J.; Pilcher, F.; et al. (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.

External links

81 Terpsichore at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
81 Terpsichore at the JPL Small-Body Database
- Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters

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[OED-1] "Terpsichore". Oxford English Dictionary (3rd ed.). Oxford University Press. September 2005. (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)

[Carry2012-2] 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.

[3] Asteroid Data Sets Archived 2009-12-17 at the Wayback Machine

[Tempel1864-4] Tempel, M. (November 1864), "Minor Planet 81 Terpsichore discovered", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 25: 31, Bibcode:1864MNRAS..25...31T.

[Pilcher2011-5] 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.

[Timerson2010-6] Timerson, Brad; Durech, J.; Pilcher, F.; et al. (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.