679 Pax

679 Pax
A three-dimensional model of 679 Pax based on its light curve
Discovery
Discovered byAugust Kopff
Discovery siteHeidelberg
Discovery date28 January 1909
Designations
(679) Pax
Pronunciation/ˈpæks/[1]
1909 FY
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc106.90 yr (39044 d)
Aphelion3.3910 AU (507.29 Gm)
Perihelion1.7808 AU (266.40 Gm)
2.5859 AU (386.85 Gm)
Eccentricity0.31135
4.16 yr (1518.8 d)
33.4022°
0° 14m 13.272s / day
Inclination24.387°
112.263°
266.736°
Physical characteristics
25.735±1.2 km[2]
32.44 ± 1.82 km[3]
Mass(7.14 ± 1.99) × 1017 kg[3]
Mean density
4.99 ± 1.62 g/cm3[3]
8.452 h (0.3522 d)
0.1660±0.017
9.01

679 Pax is a minor planet orbiting the Sun that was discovered by German astronomer August Kopff on January 28, 1909. It is named after Pax, a Roman goddess. It is orbiting the Sun with a period of 4.16 years and an eccentricity of 0.31.

Measurements using the adaptive optics at the W. M. Keck Observatory give a mean diameter of 62 km. This is 16% larger than the diameter estimated using the IRAS observatory. The asteroid is elongated with a size ratio of 1.66 ± 0.23 between the major and minor axes. Photometric measurements reported in 1982 gave a rotation period of 8.452 hours.[4] The asteroid's pole of rotation lies 32° away from the plane of the ecliptic.[5]

Polarimetric study of this asteroid reveals anomalous properties that suggests the regolith consists of a mixture of low and high albedo material. This may have been caused by fragmentation of an asteroid substrate with the spectral properties of CO3/CV3 carbonaceous chondrites.[6]

  1. ^ "Pax". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference JPL was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Carry2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference Marchis2006 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ Cite error: The named reference Marciniak2011 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference GilHutton2008 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).