171 Ophelia

Ophelia (minor planet designation: 171 Ophelia) is a large, dark Themistian asteroid that was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on 13 January 1877, and named after Ophelia in Shakespeare's Hamlet.

171 Ophelia
3D convex shape model of 171 Ophelia
Discovery
Discovered byA. Borrelly
Discovery date13 January 1877
Designations
MPC designation
(171) Ophelia
Pronunciation/ˈfliə/
Alternative designations
A877 AB
Minor planet category
Main belt (Themis)
AdjectivesOphelian /ɒˈfliən/
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc122.15 yr (44615 d)
Aphelion3.5476 AU (530.71 Gm)
Perihelion2.7175 AU (406.53 Gm)
Semi-major axis
3.1326 AU (468.63 Gm)
Eccentricity0.13249
Orbital period (sidereal)
5.54 yr (2025.1 d)
Mean anomaly
11.164°
Mean motion
0° 10m 39.972s / day
Inclination2.5461°
Longitude of ascending node
100.52°
56.849°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
130.808±1.483 km
Mass(1.064 ± 0.535/0.351)×1018 kg
Mean density
1.755 ± 0.883/0.579 g/cm3
Synodic rotation period
6.66535 h (0.277723 d)
0.0615±0.004
C
8.31

    This asteroid is a member of the Themis family of asteroids that share similar orbital elements. It probably has a primitive composition, similar to that of the carbonaceous chondrite meteorites.

    A 1979 study of the Algol-like light curve produced by this asteroid concluded that it was possible to model the brightness variation by assuming a binary system with a circular orbit, a period of 13.146 hours, and an inclination of 15° to the line of sight from the Earth. Photometric observations of this asteroid at the Leura Observatory in Leura, Australia during 2006 gave a rotation period of 6.6666 ± 0.0002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.50 ± 0.02 in magnitude. This is in agreement with previous studies.

    Ophelia is also the name of a moon of Uranus.

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