Global Information52 Europa information
 | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | H. Goldschmidt |
| Discovery date | 4 February 1858 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (52) Europa |
| Pronunciation | /jʊˈroʊpə/[1] |
Named after | Europa |
Alternative designations | 1948 LA |
Minor planet category | Main belt |
| Adjectives | Europan, Europian |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch July 01, 2021 (JD 2459396.5, heliocentric) | |
| Aphelion | 3.444 AU (510 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.75 AU (420 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 3.095 AU (460 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.111 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 5.45 yr (1989 d) |
Mean anomaly | 21° |
| Inclination | 7.48° |
Longitude of ascending node | 129° |
Argument of perihelion | 343° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | c/a = 0.67±0.04[3] (379±16)×(330±8)×(249±10) km[4] |
Mean diameter | 319±4 km[3] 315±7 km[4] |
| Mass | (24±4)×1018 kg[3] (22.6±1.6)×1018 kg[a][5] |
Mean density | 1.41±0.23 g/cm3[3] 1.5±0.4 g/cm3[4] |
Synodic rotation period | 5.63 h[2] |
Geometric albedo | 0.057±0.007 geometric (0.679±0.017 BV, 0.338±0.028 UB)[2] |
| Temperature | ~173 K max: 258K (−15 °C)[6] |
Spectral type | C/CF[2] |
Absolute magnitude (H) | 6.48[2] |
Europa (minor planet designation: 52 Europa) is the 6th-largest asteroid in the asteroid belt, having a diameter of over 300 km, though it is not correspondingly massive. It is not round but is shaped like an ellipsoid of approximately 380×330×250 km.[4] It was discovered on 4 February 1858, by Hermann Goldschmidt from his balcony in Paris. It is named after Europa, one of Zeus's conquests in Greek mythology, a name it shares with Jupiter's moon Europa.
- ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
- ^ a b c d e JPL data Retrieved 2021-09-29
- ^ a b c d P. Vernazza et al. (2021) VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis. Astronomy & Astrophysics 54, A56
- ^ a b c d Merline, W.J. (2013). "The Resolved Asteroid Program – Size, shape, and pole of (52) Europa". Icarus. 225 (1): 794–805. arXiv:1301.5101. Bibcode:2013Icar..225..794M. doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2013.01.010. S2CID 119286695.
- ^ James Baer, Steven Chesley & Robert Matson (2011) "Astrometric masses of 26 asteroids and observations on asteroid porosity." The Astronomical Journal, Volume 141, Number 5
- ^ Dotto, E.; Müller, T. G.; Barucci, M. A.; Encrenaz, Th.; Knacke, R. F.; Lellouch, E.; Doressoundiram, A.; Crovisier, J.; Brucato, J. R.; Colangeli, L.; Mennella, V. (2000). "ISO results on bright Main Belt asteroids: PHT-S observations". Astronomy and Astrophysics. 358: 1134. Bibcode:2000A&A...358.1133D. Retrieved 23 February 2024.
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