161 Athor

161 Athor

A three-dimensional model of 161 Athor based on its light curve.
Discovery[1]
Discovered by	James Craig Watson
Discovery site	Detroit Observatory
Discovery date	April 19, 1876
Designations
MPC designation	161
Named after	Hathor
Minor planet category	Main belt[2]
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch November 30, 2008
Aphelion	2.7075 AU
Perihelion	2.0507 AU
Semi-major axis	2.3791 AU
Eccentricity	0.138031
Orbital period	1340.35 days (3.67 years)
Mean anomaly	317.519°
Inclination	9.054°
Longitude of ascending node	18.766°
Argument of perihelion	294.4°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	44.19 kilometres (27.46 mi) ± 3.3 kilometres (2.1 mi) Mean diameter[4] 47.0 kilometres (29.2 mi) ± 0.2 kilometres (0.12 mi) circular fit[5]
Rotation period	7.281 ± 0.001 hours[6] 7.288 ± 0.007 hours[7]
Albedo	0.198 ± 0.033[4]
Spectral type	M[8]
Absolute magnitude (H)	9.15[9]

161 Athor is an M-type Main belt asteroid that was discovered by James Craig Watson on April 19, 1876, at the Detroit Observatory^[1] and named after Hathor, an Egyptian fertility goddess. An occultation by Athor was observed, on October 15, 2002, resulting in an estimated diameter of 47.0 kilometres (29.2 mi).^[5]

References

1. "Discovery Circumstances: Numbered Minor Planets (1)-(5000)". IAU: Minor Planet Center. Archived from the original on February 2, 2009. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
2. "161 Athor". JPL Small-Body Database. Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
3. "(161) Athor". AstDyS. Italy: University of Pisa. Retrieved December 20, 2008.
4. Tedesco; et al. (2004). "Supplemental IRAS Minor Planet Survey (SIMPS)". IRAS-A-FPA-3-RDR-IMPS-V6.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
5. Dunham & Herald (2008). "Asteroid Occultations". EAR-A-3-RDR-OCCULTATIONS-V6.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on January 1, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
6. Pilcher & Higgins (2008). "Period Determination for 161 Athor". The Minor Planet Bulletin 35 (4): 147. Bibcode:2008MPBu...35..147P.
7. Debehogne & Zappala (1980). "Photoelectric lightcurves of the asteroids 139 Juewa and 161 Athor, obtained with the 50 CM photometric telescope at ESO, La Silla". Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series 42: 85–89. Bibcode:1980A&AS...42...85D.
8. Neese (2005). "Asteroid Taxonomy". EAR-A-5-DDR-TAXONOMY-V5.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on January 17, 2010. Retrieved December 27, 2008.
9. Tholen (2007). "Asteroid Absolute Magnitudes". EAR-A-5-DDR-ASTERMAG-V11.0. Planetary Data System. Archived from the original on June 11, 2008. Retrieved December 27, 2008.

External links

• 161 Athor at the JPL Small-Body Database

• Discovery · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters