Main belt

Minor planets, or planetoids are minor bodies of the Solar system orbiting the Sun (or of other planetary systems orbiting other stars) that are larger than meteoroids (the largest of which might be taken to be around 10 meters or so across) but smaller than major planets (Mercury having a diameter of about 4880 km). The term minor planet is sometimes used as a synonym for asteroid though this is technically incorrect; asteroids are one group of minor planets, a category which also includes Trans-Neptunian objects and ot ...

Including:

• Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Earth
• Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Mars
• Minor planet - The main asteroid belt
• Minor planet - Families within the main asteroid belt
• Minor planet - Other groups out to the orbit of Jupiter
• Minor planet - Groups beyond the orbit of Jupiter
• Minor planet - Quasi-satellites and horseshoe objects

Read more here: » Minor planet: Encyclopedia - Minor planet

2 Pallas (pal'-us, Greek Παλλάς) was the second asteroid discovered, following 1 Ceres. It was found and named by H. Wilhelm Olbers on March 28, 1802. It is estimated that it contains 9% of the mass of the entire asteroid belt. 2 Pallas - Name. The asteroid is named after Pallas, the daughter of Triton and friend of Athena in Greek mythology. (There are several male characters of the same name in Greek mythology, but the first asteroids were invariably given female names.) Accordi ...

Including:

• 2 Pallas - Name
• 2 Pallas - Characteristics
• 2 Pallas - Observations
• 2 Pallas - Trivia
• 2 Pallas - Aspects
• 2 Pallas - External link

Read more here: » 2 Pallas: Encyclopedia - 2 Pallas

6 Hebe (hee'-bee, Greek ‘Ήβη) is one of the largest Main belt asteroids, and is probably the parent body of the H chondrite meteorites, which account for a remarkable 40% of all meteorites striking the Earth. 6 Hebe - Discovery. Hebe was the sixth asteroid to be discovered, on July 1, 1847. It was the second and final asteroid discovery by Karl Ludwig Hencke, who had previously found 5 Astraea. The name "Hebe" was proposed by Carl Friedrich Gauss, and refers to the Greek goddess of youth, ...

Including:

• 6 Hebe - Discovery
• 6 Hebe - Major meteorite source
• 6 Hebe - Physical characteristics
• 6 Hebe - Jebe
• 6 Hebe - Aspects

Read more here: » 6 Hebe: Encyclopedia - 6 Hebe

85 Io (eye'-oh) is a large and dark-colored Main belt asteroid. It is probably a primitive body composed of carbonates. Like 70 Panopaea it orbits within the Eunomia asteroid family but it is most likely not related to the shattered parent body. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on September 19, 1865 and named after Io, a lover of Zeus in Greek mythology. An Ionian diameter of 178 kilometres was measured from an occultation of a star on December 10, 1995. Io is also th ...

Including:

• 85 Io - Aspects

Read more here: » 85 Io: Encyclopedia - 85 Io

100 Hekate (hek'-a-tee) is a large Main belt asteroid. It is classified as a part of the Hygiea asteroid family. However, its albedo of 0.19 is too high for a typical C-type asteroid, so it is likely an interloper and not a real physical member of the family. Hekate was the 100th asteroid discovered. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on July 11, 1868 and named after Hecate, the goddess of witchcraft in Greek mythology. A Hekatean occultation of a star was observed on July 14, 2003 from New Zealand. … | Previous minor planet | 100 Hekate | Next ...

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29 Amphitrite (am'-fi-trye'-tee) is one of the largest Main belt asteroids. It has a relatively bright surface and a composition of silicates rock and iron-nickel metals. Amphitrite was discovered by Albert Marth on March 1, 1854. It was his only asteroid discovery. It is named after Amphitrite, a sea goddess in Greek mythology. A satellite has been suggested based on the lightcurve data. [1] 29 Amphitrite - Aspects. … | Previous mino ...

Including:

• 29 Amphitrite - Aspects

Read more here: » 29 Amphitrite: Encyclopedia - 29 Amphitrite

243 Ida is a Main belt asteroid that was imaged by the Galileo probe on August 28, 1993. It was the first binary asteroid to be discovered. 243 Ida - Discovery and name. Ida was discovered by Johann Palisa on September 29, 1884 in Vienna. It is named after Ida, a Cretan nymph in Greek mythology who lived on a mountain that bore her name (see Mount Ida, Crete). 243 Ida - Moon. Ida has a small moon, Dactyl, which was discovered by Galileo mission member Ann Harch, wh ...

Including:

• 243 Ida - Discovery and name
• 243 Ida - Moon
• 243 Ida - Physical characteristics
• 243 Ida - Ida
• 243 Ida - Dactyl

Read more here: » 243 Ida: Encyclopedia - 243 Ida

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

Including:

• 9 Metis - Aspects

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251 Sophia is a quite typical Main belt asteroid. Its surface is lightly coloured indicating a non-carbonaceous composition. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on October 4, 1885 in Vienna and was named after Sophia, wife of astronomer Hugo von Seeliger. ...

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160 Una is a fairly large and dark, primitive Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on February 20, 1876 and named after a character in Edmund Spenser's epic poem The Faerie Queene (1590). … | Previous minor planet | 160 Una | Next minor planet | … ...

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131 Vala is an inner Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by C. H. F. Peters on May 24, 1873, and named after Vala, a prophetess in Norse mythology One observation of an occultation of a star by Vala is from Italy (May 26, 2002). … | Previous minor planet | 131 Vala | Next minor planet | … Category: Main Belt asteroids ...

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113 Amalthea is a fairly typical rocky Main belt asteroid orbiting in the inner regions of the belt. It was discovered by R. Luther on March 12, 1871. One of Jupiter's inner small satellites is also called Amalthea. The name comes from Amalthea of Greek mythology. … | Previous minor planet | 113 Amalthea | Next minor planet | … Category: Main Belt asteroids ...

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16 Psyche (sye'-kee) is the 13th-largest Main belt asteroid, measuring 250 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered by Annibale de Gasparis on March 17, 1852 from Naples and named after the Greek nymph Psyche. Spectral and other analyses indicate a fairly pure iron-nickel composition. Psyche and other class M asteroids originate from the metallic core of a large differen ...

Including:

• 16 Psyche - Aspects

Read more here: » 16 Psyche: Encyclopedia - 16 Psyche

164 Eva is a large and very dark Main belt asteroid. It is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous chondritic materials. It has a somewhat irregular orbit. It was discovered by the brothers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry on July 12, 1876. In 2000 Eva was reported occulting a dim star. … | Previous minor planet | 164 Eva | Next mi ...

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161 Athor is a metallic Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on April 19, 1876 and named after Hathor, an Egyptian fertility goddess. An occultation by Athor has been observed, on October 15, 2002. … | Previous minor planet | 161 Athor | Next minor planet | … Category: Main Belt asteroids ...

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The overwhelming majority of asteroids have orbits lying between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter, roughly between 2 to 4 AU. These couldn't form a planet due to the gravitational influence of Jupiter. Jupiter's gravitational influence, through orbital resonance, clears Kirkwood gaps in the asteroid belt, first recognised by Daniel Kirkwood in 1874. The region with the densest concentration (lying between the Kirkwood gaps at 2.06 and 3.27 AU, with eccentricities below about 0.3, and inclinations smaller than 30°) is often called the M ...

See also:

Minor planet, Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Earth, Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Mars, Minor planet - The main asteroid belt, Minor planet - Families within the main asteroid belt, Minor planet - Other groups out to the orbit of Jupiter, Minor planet - Groups beyond the orbit of Jupiter, Minor planet - Quasi-satellites and horseshoe objects

Read more here: » Minor planet: Encyclopedia II - Minor planet - The main asteroid belt

Ida has a small moon, Dactyl, which was discovered by Galileo mission member Ann Harch, while examining the delayed image downloads, discovered on February 17, 1994. The moon was given the provisory designation S/1993 (243) 1 and later named (243) Ida I Dactyl. The discovery images were taken on 28 August 1993, hence the provisory designation. The satellite was reported on 12 March 1994. Dactyl is only 1.4 km in diameter. Some researchers believe that Dactyl formed from debris ejected from Ida by cratering, while ...

See also:

243 Ida, 243 Ida - Discovery and name, 243 Ida - Moon, 243 Ida - Physical characteristics, 243 Ida - Ida, 243 Ida - Dactyl

Read more here: » 243 Ida: Encyclopedia II - 243 Ida - Moon

Lightcurve analysis suggests that Hebe has a rather angular shape, which may be due to several large impact craters [4]. Hebe rotates in a prograde direction, with the north pole pointing towards ecliptic coordinates (β, λ) = (45°, 339°) with a 10° uncertainty [4]. This gives an axial tilt of 42°. It has a bright surface and, if its identification as the parent body of the H chondrites is correct, a surface composition of silicate chondritic rocks mixed with pieces of nickel-iron metal. A likely scenario fo ...

See also:

6 Hebe, 6 Hebe - Discovery, 6 Hebe - Major meteorite source, 6 Hebe - Physical characteristics, 6 Hebe - Jebe, 6 Hebe - Aspects

Read more here: » 6 Hebe: Encyclopedia II - 6 Hebe - Physical characteristics

Pallas is the third largest asteroid, similar to 4 Vesta in volume (to within uncertainty), but significantly less massive. Pallas is currently the largest Solar System body (barring trans-Neptunian objects) whose surface has not been directly imaged by spacecraft or telescopes. It may also be the largest irregularly-shaped body, meaning that it has not been compressed by gravity into a spheroid shape (other candidates may be trans-Nept ...

See also:

2 Pallas, 2 Pallas - Name, 2 Pallas - Characteristics, 2 Pallas - Observations, 2 Pallas - Trivia, 2 Pallas - Aspects, 2 Pallas - External link

Read more here: » 2 Pallas: Encyclopedia II - 2 Pallas - Characteristics

Some asteroids have unusual horseshoe orbits that are co-orbital with the Earth or some other planet. Examples are 3753 Cruithne and 2002 AA29. The first instance of this type of orbital arrangement was discovered between Saturn's moons Epimetheus and Janus. Sometimes these "horseshoe objects" temporarily become quasi-satellites for a few decades or a few hundred years, before returning to their prior status. Both Earth and Venus are known to have quasi-satellites. Such objects, if associated with Earth or Venus or even hypothetically Mercury are a special class of Aten asteroids ...

See also:

Minor planet, Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Earth, Minor planet - Groups out to the orbit of Mars, Minor planet - The main asteroid belt, Minor planet - Families within the main asteroid belt, Minor planet - Other groups out to the orbit of Jupiter, Minor planet - Groups beyond the orbit of Jupiter, Minor planet - Quasi-satellites and horseshoe objects

Read more here: » Minor planet: Encyclopedia II - Minor planet - Quasi-satellites and horseshoe objects