72 Feronia

72 Feronia
A three-dimensional model of 72 Feronia based on its light curve.
Discovery
Discovered byChristian Heinrich Friedrich Peters
Discovery dateMay 29, 1861
Designations
(72) Feronia
Pronunciation/fɛˈrniə/[1]
Named after
Feronia
Main belt
AdjectivesFeronian
Orbital characteristics
Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion2.539 AU (379.8 Gm)
Perihelion1.993 AU (298.1 Gm)
2.266 AU (339.0 Gm)
Eccentricity0.121
1,246.123 days (3.41 a)
146.950°
Inclination5.417°
208.137°
102.608°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions83.95±4.02 km[2]
Mass(9.45 ± 3.76/1.75)×1017 kg[3]
Mean density
3.045 ± 1.212/0.565 g/cm3[3]
8.09068 h[4]
287 or 102[4]
−39 or −55[4]
0.063[5]
TDG[6]
8.94

72 Feronia is a quite large and dark main belt asteroid. It was the first asteroid discovery by C. H. F. Peters, on May 29, 1861,[7] from Hamilton College, New York State. It was initially thought that Peters had merely seen the already known asteroid 66 Maja, but T.H. Safford showed that it was a new body. Safford named it after Feronia, a Roman fertility goddess.[8]

This asteroid is orbiting the Sun with a period of 3.41 years, having a semimajor axis of 2.266 AU and an eccentricity of 0.121. The orbital plane is inclined by an angle of 5.4° to the plane of the ecliptic. This is a spectral type TDG asteroid with a cross-section size of 84 km. The asteroid has an estimated rotation period of 8.09 h. Hanuš et al. (2013) gives two possible solutions for the pole in ecliptic coordinates: (λ1, β1) = (287°, −39°) or (λ1, β1) = (102°, −55°).

  1. ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Carry2012 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ a b Cite error: The named reference FiengaEtAl2020 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c Cite error: The named reference Hanus2013 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Asteroid Data Sets". Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  6. ^ *JPL Small-Body Database Browser
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference Sheehan1999 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ Schmadel, Lutz (2003). Dictionary of minor planet names (fifth ed.). Germany: Springer. p. 22. ISBN 3-540-00238-3. Retrieved 31 December 2008.