679 Pax

679 Pax

A three-dimensional model of 679 Pax based on its light curve.
Discovery
Discovered by August Kopff
Discovery site Heidelberg
Discovery date January 28, 1909
Designations
1909 FY
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch August 18, 2005 (JDCT 2453600.5)
Aphelion 3.394 AU
Perihelion 1.782 AU
2.588 AU
Eccentricity 0.311
4.164 a
165.779°
Inclination 24.353°
112.485°
266.453°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 64.88 ± 3.64[2] km
Mass (7.14 ± 1.99) × 1017 kg[2]
Mean density
 4.99 ± 1.62[2] g/cm3

    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.

    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.[3]

    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.[4]

    References

    1. ↑ Yeomans, Donald K., "679 Pax", JPL Small-Body Database Browser (NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory), retrieved 2013-03-30.
    2. 1 2 3 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. ↑ Marchis, F.; et al. (November 2006), "Shape, size and multiplicity of main-belt asteroids. I. Keck Adaptive Optics survey", Icarus 185 (1), pp. 39–63, Bibcode:2006Icar..185...39M, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.06.001, PMC 2600456, PMID 19081813, retrieved 2013-03-27.
    4. ↑ Gil-Hutton, R.; et al. (April 2008), "New cases of unusual polarimetric behavior in asteroids", Astronomy and Astrophysics 482 (1), pp. 309–314, Bibcode:2008A&A...482..309G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078965.

    External links


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