9 Metis

9 Metis
Discovery A
Discoverer A. Graham
Discovery date April 25, 1848
Alternate
designations
1974 QU2 B
Category Main belt
Orbital elements C D
Epoch July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
Eccentricity (e) 0.122
Semi-major axis (a) 357.052 Gm
(2.387 AU)
Perihelion (q) 313.556 Gm
(2.096 AU)
Aphelion (Q) 400.548 Gm
(2.678 AU)
Orbital period (P) 1346.815 d
(3.69 a)
Mean orbital speed 19.28 km/s
Inclination (i) 5.576°
Longitude of the
ascending node (Ω)
68.982°
Argument of
perihelion (ω)
5.489°
Mean anomaly (M) 274.183°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions 235—165 km1
Mass 4.6—1018 kg
(estimation)
Density 2 g/cm³
(estimation)
Surface gravity 0.036 m/s²
(estimation)
Escape velocity 0.081 km/s
(estimation)
Rotation period 0.2116 d 2
Spectral class S-type 3
Absolute magnitude 6.28
Albedo 0.160 3
Mean surface
temperature
~177 K

9 Metis (mee'-tis) is one of the largest Main belt asteroids. It is composed of silicates and metallic nickel-iron.

Size comparison: the first 10 asteroids profiled against Earth's Moon. From left to right, 1 Ceres, 2 Pallas, 3 Juno, 4 Vesta, 5 Astraea, 6 Hebe, 7 Iris, 8 Flora, 9 Metis, and 10 Hygiea. [Source]


Metis was discovered by Andrew Graham on April 25, 1848; his only asteroid discovery. It is also the only asteroid to have been discovered as a result of observations from Ireland. Its name comes from the mythological Metis, a Titaness, daughter of Tethys and Oceanus (and thus an Oceanid), who was the first wife of Zeus and the mother of Athena. Zeus devoured her lest she bear a child more powerful than he.

Light curve data on Metis led to an assumption that it could have a satellite. However, subsequent observations failed to confirm this. [1] [2] Metis was later observed with the Hubble Space Telescope in 1993, which was able to resolve the irregular shape of the asteroid, but no satellites were detected. [3]

Metis has been observed occulting a star no less than 5 times.

Metis is also the name of a satellite of Jupiter.






Aspects

Stationary, retrograd Opposition distance to earth (AU) maximum brightness Stationary, prograde conjunction to sun
January 19, 2006 March 3, 2006 1.35200 9.1 mag April 20, 2006 June 7, 2005
May 4, 2007 June 23, 2007 1.64582 9.7 mag August 13, 2007 November 5, 2006
September 24, 2008 November 5, 2008 1.13923 8.4 mag December 19, 2008 February 15, 2008
February 23, 2010 April 11, 2010 1.53609 9.5 mag June 3, 2010 August 7, 2009
June 11, 2011 July 28, 2011 1.53974 9.6 mag September 16, 2011 December 6, 2010
November 23, 2012 January 2, 2013 1.13905 8.5 mag February 12, 2013 March 30, 2012
March 26, 2014 May 15, 2014 1.64402 9.6 mag July 7, 2014 September 23, 2013
July 25, 2015 September 6, 2015 1.35478 9.2 mag October 25, 2015 January 5, 2015
January 11, 2017 February 22, 2017 1.31456 9.0 mag April 10, 2017 May 27, 2016
April 28, 2018 June 17, 2018 1.65468 9.7 mag August 7, 2018 October 30, 2017
September 14, 2019 October 27, 2019 1.16286 8.6 mag December 10, 2019 February 8, 2019

Links

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