12 Victoria

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12 Victoria  
Discovery
Discovered by John Russell Hind
Discovery date September 13, 1850
Designations
Alternative names none
Minor planet
category
Main belt
Epoch July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
Aphelion 426.234 Gm (2.849 AU)
Perihelion 272.097 Gm (1.819 AU)
Semi-major axis 349.166 Gm (2.334 AU)
Eccentricity 0.221
Orbital period 1302.439 d (3.57 a)
Average orbital speed 19.50 km/s
Mean anomaly 80.591°
Inclination 8.363°
Longitude of ascending node 235.547°
Argument of perihelion 69.747°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 112.8 km
Mass 1.5×1018 kg
Mean density 2 ? g/cm³
Equatorial surface gravity 0.0315 m/s²
Escape velocity 0.0596 km/s
Rotation period 0.3609 d[1]
Albedo 0.177 (geometric[2]
Temperature ~178 K
Spectral type S-type asteroid
Apparent magnitude 8.53 to 12.82
Absolute magnitude 7.24
Angular diameter 0.188" to 0.04"

12 Victoria (pronounced /vɪkˈtɔəriə/, Latin: Uictōria) is a large Main belt asteroid.

It was discovered by J. R. Hind on September 13, 1850.

Victoria is officially named after the Roman goddess of victory, but the name also honours Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. The goddess Victoria (Nike for the Greeks) was the daughter of Styx by the Titan Pallas. The coincidence with the name of the then-reigning queen caused quite a controversy at the time, and B. A. Gould, editor of the prestigious Astronomical Journal, adopted the alternate name Clio (now used by 84 Klio), proposed by the discoverer. However, W. C. Bond, of the Harvard College Observatory, then the highest authority on astronomy in America, held that the mythological condition was fulfilled and the name therefore acceptable, and his opinion eventually prevailed.

Radar and speckle interferometry observations show that the shape of Victoria is elongated, and it is suspected to be a binary asteroid.[3]

Victoria has been observed to occult stars 3 times.

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1][dead link]
  2. ^ [2][dead link]
  3. ^ Other reports of asteroid/TNO companions

[edit] External links

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