94 Aurora

94 Aurora
A three-dimensional model of 94 Aurora based on its light curve on the top with the image of the asteroid on the bottom.
Discovery
Discovered byJames Craig Watson
Discovery date6 September 1867
Designations
Pronunciation/əˈrɔːrə, ɒ-/
Named after
Aurōra
Main belt
AdjectivesAurorean /ɔːˈrɔːriən/
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 9 June 2026 (JD 2461200.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc153.69 yr (56136 d)
Aphelion3.46636 AU (518.560 Gm)
Perihelion2.85175 AU (426.616 Gm)
3.15906 AU (472.589 Gm)
Eccentricity0.097277
5.61493 yr (2050.85 d)
16.73 km/s
45.7061°
0° 10m 31.908s / day
Inclination7.97093°
2.45293°
60.6118°
Jupiter MOID1.87872 AU (281.053 Gm)
TJupiter3.183
Physical characteristics
Dimensions225 × 173 km
202/196 ± 4 km (AO)
Mass(4.96±0.28)×1018 kg (2025)
(3.22±0.91)×1018 kg (2023)
Mean density
1.26±0.11 g/cm3 (2025)
0.82±0.27 g/cm3 (2023)
Equatorial surface gravity
0.0345 m/s²
Equatorial escape velocity
0.0822 km/s
7.22619 h (0.301091 d)
244° ± 2°/56° ± 3°
3° ± 5°/7° ± 5°
0.0395±0.001
0.0395
Temperature~157 K
C
7.74

94 Aurora is one of the largest main-belt asteroids. With an albedo of only 0.04, it is darker than soot, and has a primitive composition consisting of carbonaceous material. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on 6 September 1867 in Ann Arbor, and named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn.

This asteroid is orbiting the Sun with a period of 5.62 years and a relatively low eccentricity of 0.092. It is spinning with a rotation period of 7.22 hours. Observations of an occultation using nine chords indicate an oval outline of 225×173 km. The asteroid's pole of rotation lies just 3–7° away from the plane of the ecliptic.

Notes

  1. ↑ Calculated from its standard gravitational parameter GM = 0.331±0.019 km3/s2.
  2. ↑ Assuming a diameter of 196 ± 4 km.
  3. ↑ Assuming a diameter of 195.3 ± 10.1 km.

References

  1. ↑ "aurora". Oxford English Dictionary (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ↑ "aurorean". Oxford English Dictionary (online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    But see 'aurora' for the first vowel.
  3. 1 2 3 4 "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 94 Aurora" (2026-04-06 last obs). Retrieved 24 July 2026.
  4. 1 2 "Occultation of TYC 6910-01938-1 by (94) Aurora - 2001 October 12". Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand. Archived from the original on 19 February 2012. Retrieved 30 November 2008. (Chords) Archived 2008-10-21 at the Wayback Machine
  5. 1 2 3 4 5 Hanuš, J.; Viikinkoski, M.; Marchis, F.; Ďurech, J.; Kaasalainen, M.; Delbo’, M.; Herald, D.; Frappa, E.; Hayamizu, T.; Kerr, S.; Preston, S.; Timerson, B.; Dunham, D.; Talbot, J. (May 2017). "Volumes and bulk densities of forty asteroids from ADAM shape modeling". Astronomy & Astrophysics. 601: A114. arXiv:1702.01996. Bibcode:2017A&A...601A.114H. doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201629956. ISSN 0004-6361. S2CID 119432730.
  6. 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.
  7. 1 2 Li 李, Fan 凡; Yuan 袁, Ye 烨; Fu 傅, Yanning 燕宁; Chen 陈, Jian 健 (1 September 2023). "Dynamical Masses of 20 Asteroids Determined with Gaia DR3 Asteroid Observations". The Astronomical Journal. 166 (3): 93. Bibcode:2023AJ....166...93L. doi:10.3847/1538-3881/ace52b. ISSN 0004-6256. S2CID 260534542.
  8. ↑ Asteroid Data Sets Archived 2009-12-17 at the Wayback Machine