68 Leto
Leto (minor planet designation: 68 Leto) is a large main belt asteroid that is orbiting the Sun. The asteroid was discovered by German astronomer Robert Luther on April 29, 1861, and is named after Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology. It is orbiting at a distance of 2.78112 AU with a period of 4.64 years and an orbital eccentricity of 0.187. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 7.97° to the ecliptic.
A three-dimensional model of 68 Leto based on its light curve. | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Karl Theodor Robert Luther |
| Discovery date | 29 April 1861 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (68) Leto |
| Pronunciation | /ˈlɛtoʊ/ |
Named after | Λητώ Lētō |
Minor planet category | Main belt |
| Adjectives | Letoian /liːˈtoʊ.iən/ |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 152.08 yr (55548 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.30153 AU (493.902 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.26072 AU (338.199 Gm) |
Semi-major axis | 2.78112 AU (416.050 Gm) |
| Eccentricity | 0.18712 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 4.64 yr (1,694.1 d) |
Mean anomaly | 48.7204° |
Mean motion | 0° 12m 45.025s / day |
| Inclination | 7.97189° |
Longitude of ascending node | 44.1270° |
| 304.826° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 122.57±5.3 km 124.96±6.42 km |
| Mass | (3.28±1.90)×1018 kg |
Mean density | 3.21±1.92 g/cm3 |
Synodic rotation period | 14.848 h (0.6187 d) |
| 0.2283±0.021 0.228 | |
| S | |
| 9.56 (brightest) | |
| 6.78 | |
Photometric observations of 68 Leto during 1997 provided a rotation period of 14.856 ± 0.024 h. It has an estimated cross-sectional size of 123 km. The spectral type is S, suggesting a stony, silicate composition.
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.