878 Mildred

878 Mildred is a minor planet in the main belt orbiting the Sun. It is the lowest numbered, and thus the namesake, of the Mildred family of asteroids, a subgroup of the Nysa family.[3] The Mildred subgroup, and by extension 878 Mildred itself, is thought to have been formed by a recent fragmentation event from a larger asteroid.[3]

Discovery

878 Mildred was originally discovered in 1916 using the 1.5 m Hale Telescope at the Mount Wilson Observatory, but was subsequently lost until it was again observed on single nights in 1985 and 1991 (a lost asteroid).[2] Initially only two observations of the asteroid were taken on 1916-09-06 which does not allow for an accurate orbital determination, however interest in the object prompted further investigation and more measurements were taken in late September and October.[4] The asteroid was re-discovered in 1991 by Gareth V. Williams.[5] It is named after Mildred Shapley Matthews.

Physical properties

By comparing the asteroid's perceived brightness and the then computed distance from the Sun they arrived at an absolute visual magnitude of 14.3, which if one assumes Mars-like albedo gives an approximate diameter of 3 to 5 kilometers.[4]

References

  1. ^ a b c d "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 878 Mildred (1916 f)" (2015-04-10 last obs). Retrieved 3 May 2016.
  2. ^ a b IAU Circular: IAUC 5275. Central Bureau for Astronomical Telegrams (Report). IAU. 25 May 1991. Retrieved 20 February 2020.
  3. ^ a b c d Cellino, A.; et al. (August 2001). "The Puzzling Case of the Nysa–Polana Family". Icarus. 152 (2): 225–237. Bibcode:2001Icar..152..225C. doi:10.1006/icar.2001.6634.
  4. ^ a b c Shapley, H.; Nicholson, S. B. (1917). "The Orbit and Probable Size of a Very Faint Asteroid (878) Mildred". Astronomical Journal. 30 (710): 127–128. Bibcode:1917AJ.....30..127S. doi:10.1086/104199.
  5. ^ "MPC staff - Gareth Williams". Minor Planet Center. International Astronomical Union. Retrieved 26 August 2014.
  • Minor Planet Center Database entry on (878) Mildred
  • 878 Mildred at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
    • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
  • 878 Mildred at the JPL Small-Body Database Edit this at Wikidata
    • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit diagram · Orbital elements · Physical parameters
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