238 Hypatia is a largemain-beltasteroid that was discovered by Russian astronomerViktor Knorre on July 1, 1884, inBerlin. It was the third of his four asteroid discoveries. The name was given in honour ofphilosopherHypatia of Alexandria. Based upon the spectrum, it is classified as aC-type asteroid[4] and is probably composed of primitivecarbonaceous material. Like many asteroids of this type, its surface is very dark in colour.
Orbit of Hypatia (blue ring)
Photometric observations of this asteroid at theEuropean Southern Observatory in 1981 gave alight curve with a period of 8.9 ± 0.1 hours and a brightness variation of 0.12 inmagnitude.[5]Stellar occultation events were observed for this asteroid during 2001 and 2005. The resultingchords provided cross-section diameter estimates of 146.5 and 145.3 km, respectively.[6]
^Piironen, J.; et al. (March 1998), "Physical studies of asteroids. XXXII. Rotation periods and UBVRI-colours for selected asteroids",Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement,128 (3):525–540,Bibcode:1998A&AS..128..525P,doi:10.1051/aas:1998393.
^Schober, H. J. (January 1983), "Rotation periods and lightcurves of the asteroids 136 Austria and 238 Hypatia",Astronomy and Astrophysics,117 (2):362–364,Bibcode:1983A&A...117..362S.