20 Massalia

20 Massalia
Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Massalia
Discovery[1]
Discovered byA. de Gasparis
Discovery siteNaples Obs.
Discovery date19 September 1852
Designations
(20) Massalia
Pronunciation/mæˈseɪliə/[2]
Named after
Marseille (French city)[3]
Massilia /mæˈsɪliə/[4]
main belt[1][5] · Massalia[6]
AdjectivesMassalian /mæˈseɪliən/[2]
Orbital characteristics[5]
Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc164.08 yr (59,929 d)
Aphelion2.7514 AU
Perihelion2.0662 AU
2.4088 AU
Eccentricity0.1422
3.74 yr (1,366 d)
12.443°
0° 15m 48.96s / day
Inclination0.7087°
206.11°
2021-Nov-04
256.58°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions160×145×132 km[7]
160×145×130 km[8]
145.50±9.3 km[9]
Mass5.2×1018 kg[10]
5.67×1018 kg[7]
Mean density
3.54±0.85 g/cm3[7]
8.098 h[11]
0.210[9]
Tholen = S[5]
SMASS = S[5]
8.3[12] to 12.0
6.50[5][11]
0.186" to 0.058"

20 Massalia is a stony asteroid and the parent body of the Massalia family located in the inner region of the asteroid belt, approximately 145 kilometers (90 miles) in diameter. Discovered by Italian astronomer Annibale de Gasparis on 19 September 1852, it was named for the Latin name of the French city of Marseille, from which the independent discover Jean Chacornac sighted it the following night.[3] It was the first asteroid that was not assigned an iconic symbol by its discoverer.[13]

It came to opposition 179 degrees from the Sun on 16 June 2023,[14] and came to aphelion (farthest distance from the Sun) on 17 September 2023.[needs update]

  1. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference MPC-object was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ a b "Messalian, Massalian". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference springer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ John Craig (1869) The Universal English Dictionary
  5. ^ a b c d e Cite error: The named reference jpldata was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference Ferret was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Baer was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Cite error: The named reference Kaasalainen02 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  9. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference SIMPS was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Cite error: The named reference Bange98 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference lcdb was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  12. ^ Cite error: The named reference Pasachoff1983 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  13. ^ Bala, Gavin Jared; Miller, Kirk (18 September 2023). "Unicode request for historical asteroid symbols" (PDF). unicode.org. Unicode. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  14. ^ JPL Horizons (Opposition)