_Aphrodite.png) Shape model ofAphrodite from itslightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | E. Delporte |
| Discovery site | Uccle Obs. |
| Discovery date | 24 September 1935 |
| Designations | |
| (1388) Aphrodite | |
| Pronunciation | /æfroʊˈdaɪtiː/[2] |
Named after | Aphrodite[3] (Greek goddess) |
| 1935 SS · A914 TC | |
| main-belt[1][4] · (outer) Eos[5][6][7] | |
| Adjectives | Aphrodisian/æfroʊˈdɪziən/[8] |
| Orbital characteristics[4] | |
| Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 83.08yr (30,344 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.2896AU |
| Perihelion | 2.7485 AU |
| 3.0190 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0896 |
| 5.25 yr (1,916 d) | |
| 35.092° | |
| 0° 11m 16.44s / day | |
| Inclination | 11.192° |
| 54.359° | |
| 257.03° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 21.355±0.282 km[9][10] 21.636±0.079 km[11] 23.00±0.48 km[12] 23.17±0.55 km[13] 25.22±2.8 km[14] | |
| 11.9432±0.0004 h[15] | |
| 0.1317[14] 0.144[13] 0.152[12] 0.1801[11] 0.184[9] | |
| K(family-based)[16] B–V = 0.860[5] U–B = 0.490[5] | |
| 10.81[9][11][14] 10.9[1][4][7][12][13] | |
1388 Aphrodite (prov. designation:1935 SS) is anasteroid of theEos family from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 22 kilometers (14 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 24 September 1935, by Belgian astronomerEugène Delporte at theRoyal Observatory of Belgium in Uccle.[1] The likely elongatedK-type asteroid has arotation period of 11.9 hours.[7] It was named after the Greek goddessAphrodite from Greek mythology.[3]
Aphrodite is a core member of theEos family (606),[5][6] the largestasteroid family in theouter main belt consisting of nearly 10,000 asteroids.[16] It orbits the Sun at a distance of 2.7–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 3 months (1,916 days;semi-major axis of 3.02 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.09 and aninclination of 11° with respect to theecliptic.[4] The body'sobservation arc begins atJohannesburg Observatory in September 1939, just four nights after its official discovery observation atUccle.[1]
Thisminor planet was named from Greek mythology afterAphrodite, the Greek goddess of love, beauty, and sexuality, and daughter ofZeus and the TitanessDione. The asteroid's name was proposed by the GermanAstronomisches Rechen-Institut (RI 1702). The officialnaming citation was mentioned inThe Names of the Minor Planets byPaul Herget in 1955 (H 126).[3]
While the asteroid'sspectral type is unknown,[5]Aphrodite, with ageometric albedo of around 0.15(see asteroid-family list), is likely aK-type asteroid, which is typically associated with members of the Eos family.[16]
In May 2007, a rotationallightcurve ofAphrodite was obtained fromphotometric observations byJulian Oey at the Kingsgrove Observatory (E19) in Australia in collaboration with other observatories. Lightcurve analysis gave a well-definedrotation period of11.9432±0.0004 hours and a brightness variation of 0.65magnitude (U=3), indicative for an elongated, non-spherical shape.[15] Alternative period determinations by Alvaro Alvarez-Candal (9 h; Δ 0.4 mag) in 2004,[17]René Roy (11.88 h; Δ 0.34 mag) in 2006,[18] and Kevin Ivarsen (11.95 h; Δ 0.35 mag) in 2003,[19] received a lower rating (U=2/2+/2).[7]
A modeled lightcurve using photometry obtained from public databases and through a large collaboration network as well as sparse-in-time individual measurements from a few sky surveys was published in 2016 and 2018.[7][20] Most recent results gave a concurring sidereal period of11.94389±0.00002 hours, as well as twospin axes at (325.0°, 35.0°) and (137.0°, 66.0°) inecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[20]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Aphrodite measures between 21.4 and 25.2 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.13 and 0.18.[9][10][11][12][13][14] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.1217 and a diameter of 25.17 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 10.9.[7]
