951 Gaspra
951 Gaspra is an S-type asteroid that orbits very close to the inner edge of the asteroid belt. Gaspra was discovered by Russian astronomer G. N. Neujmin in 1916. Neujmin named it after Gaspra, a Black Sea retreat that was visited by his contemporaries, such as Gorky and Tolstoy.
Galileo image of Gaspra; colors are exaggerated | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | G. Neujmin |
| Discovery site | Simeiz Obs. |
| Discovery date | 30 July 1916 |
| Designations | |
MPC designation | (951) Gaspra |
| Pronunciation | /ˈɡæsprə/ |
Named after | Gaspra (Crimean spa town) |
Alternative designations | 1916 S45 · 1916 Σ45 SIGMA 45 · A913 YA 1955 MG1 |
Minor planet category | main-belt · (inner) Flora |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 103.54 yr (37,819 days) |
| Aphelion | 2.5931 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.8267 AU |
Semi-major axis | 2.2099 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.1734 |
Orbital period (sidereal) | 3.29 yr (1,200 days) |
Mean anomaly | 232.83° |
Mean motion | 0° 18m 0s / day |
| Inclination | 4.1063° |
Longitude of ascending node | 253.06° |
| 129.94° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 18.2 km × 10.5 km × 8.9 km 12.2 km (mean diameter) |
| Mass | 2–3 × 1015 kg (estimate) |
Mean density | ~2.7 g/cm3 (estimate) |
Synodic rotation period | 7.042 h (0.293 d) |
| 72° | |
| 0.246±0.032 | |
| Tholen = S SMASS = S B–V = 0.870 U–B = 0.554 | |
| 11.46 | |
Gaspra was the first asteroid ever to be closely approached when it was visited by the Galileo spacecraft, which flew by on its way to Jupiter on 29 October 1991.
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