62 Erato

62 Erato
Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Erato
Discovery
Discovered by
Discovery date14 September 1860
Designations
Pronunciation/ˈɛrətoʊ/
Named after
Ἐρατώ Eratō
AdjectivesEratoian /ɛrəˈtoʊ.iən/
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 31 December 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion3.679 AU (550.4 Gm)
Perihelion2.566 AU (383.9 Gm)
3.122 AU (467.0 Gm)
Eccentricity0.178
2,015.178 d (5.52 yr)
161.828°
Inclination2.223°
125.738°
273.285°
Physical characteristics
95.4 km
Mass(4.6±1.8)×1017 kg
Mean density
0.73 g/cm3
5.675±0.001 h or 9.2213±0.0007 h
0.061
  • Ch (SMASSII)
  • BU (Tholen)
8.76

62 Erato (/ˈɛrətoʊ/) is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 95 kilometers (59 miles) in diameter. It is a member of the Themis family of asteroids that share similar properties and orbital characteristics. Photometric measurements during 2004–2005 showed a rotation period of 9.2213±0.0007 h with an amplitude of 0.116±0.005 in magnitude. It is orbiting the Sun with a period of 5.52 yr, a semimajor axis of 3.122 AU, and eccentricity of 0.178. The orbital plane is inclined by an angle of 2.22° to the plane of the ecliptic.

Erato is the first asteroid to have been credited with co-discoverers, Oskar Lesser and Wilhelm Forster, who discovered it on 14 September 1860, from the Berlin Observatory. It was their first and only asteroid discovery. The name was chosen by Johann Franz Encke, director of the observatory, and refers to Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry in Greek mythology. It has also been classified as a member of the Eos family.

Notes

  1. ↑ Calculated from its standard gravitational parameter GM = 0.031±0.012 km3/s2.
  2. ↑ Assuming a diameter of 107 km.

References

  1. ↑ Noah Webster (1884). A Practical Dictionary of the English Language.
  2. ↑ "Asteroid 62 Erato". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Archived from the original on 15 September 2020. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
  3. 1 2 Fuentes-Muñoz, Oscar; Farnocchia, Davide; Giorgini, Jon D.; Park, Ryan S. (1 December 2025). "Asteroid Mass Estimation by Mutual Perturbations During Close Encounters After Gaia Focused Product Release". The Astronomical Journal. 170 (6): 353. Bibcode:2025AJ....170..353F. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ae0cc9. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 283347135.
  4. 1 2 Alvarez-Candal, Alvaro; et al. (December 2004), "Rotational lightcurves of asteroids belonging to families", Icarus, 172 (2): 388–401, Bibcode:2004Icar..172..388A, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.06.008.
  5. 1 2 Gonçalves, Rui M. D.; Behrend, Raoul (March 2006), "Lightcurve of 62 Erato", Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, 33 (1): 7, Bibcode:2006MPBu...33....7G.
  6. ↑ "Asteroid Data Sets". Planetary Data System Asteroid/Dust Archive. NASA. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
  7. ↑ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer. p. 21. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.