_Klytaemnestra.png) 3D convex shape model of 179 Klytaemnestra | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | J. C. Watson |
| Discovery site | Ann Arbor Obs. |
| Discovery date | 11 November 1877 |
| Designations | |
| (179) Klytaemnestra | |
| Pronunciation | /klɪtɪmˈnɛstrə/[2] |
Named after | Clytemnestra[3] (Greek mythology) |
| A877 VC | |
| main-belt[1][4] · (outer)[5] Telramund[6] | |
| Orbital characteristics[4] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 119.12yr (43,507 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.3085AU |
| Perihelion | 2.6356 AU |
| 2.9720 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1132 |
| 5.12 yr (1,871 d) | |
| 194.50° | |
| 0° 11m 32.64s / day | |
| Inclination | 7.8163° |
| 251.91° | |
| 103.64° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 64.25±0.79 km[7] 69.946±0.518 km[8] 72.786±0.799 km[9] 75.02±3.21 km[10] 77.69±1.4 km[11] 90.17±1.53 km[12] | |
| Mass | (2.49±1.19)×1017 kg[10] |
Meandensity | 1.12±0.55 g/cm3[10] |
| 11.13±0.02 h[13] 11.173 h[14] 11.17342±0.00005 h[15] | |
| 0.119±0.018[12] 0.1609±0.006[11] 0.1833±0.0578[9] 0.198±0.011[8] 0.245±0.007[7] | |
| Tholen =S[4] SMASS =Sk[4] B–V = 0.832[4] U–B = 0.408[4] | |
| 8.15[4][5][7][9][11][12] 8.22[14] | |
179 Klytaemnestra is a stony Telramundasteroid from the outer regions of theasteroid belt, approximately 77 kilometers (48 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 11 November 1877, by Canadian-American astronomerJames Craig Watson at theold Ann Arbor Observatory in Michigan, United States.[1] It was his last discovery three years before his death.[16] The transitionalS-type asteroid has arotation period of 11.17 hours.[5] It was named afterClytemnestra fromGreek mythology.[3]
Together with asteroid9506 Telramund,Klytaemnestra is the largest members of theTelramund family (614),[6] a mid-sizedfamily of stony asteroids in the outer main belt, which is also known as theKlytaemnestra family.[17]: 23
It orbits the Sun in theouter main-belt at a distance of 2.6–3.3 AU once every 5 years and 1 month (1,871 days;semi-major axis of 2.97 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.11 and aninclination of 8° with respect to theecliptic.[4] The body'sobservation arc begins atLick Observatory in February 1899, more than 21 years after to its official discovery observation at Ann Arbor.[1]
In theTholen classification,Klytaemnestra is a common stonyS-type asteroid,[4] while in theSMASS classification it is a Sk-subtype, that transitions between the S- andK-type asteroids.[4]
Photometric observations of this asteroid at theOakley Observatory in Terre Haute, Indiana, during 2006 gave alight curve with a period of 11.13 ± 0.02 hours and a brightness variation of 0.55 ± 0.02 inmagnitude (U=2).[13] A better rated lightcurve, already obtained by Alan Harris in October 1979, gave a period of 11.173 hours with an amplitude of 0.35 (U=3).[14]
A modeled lightcurve using photometric data from a larger international collaboration was published in 2016. It gave a period of 11.17342 hours, identical to the 1979-observations by Harris, as well as twospin axes at (65.0°, −6.0°) and (248.0°, −9.0°) inecliptic coordinates (λ, β).[15]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Klytaemnestra measures between 64.25 and 90.17 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.119 and 0.245.[7][8][9][11][12]
TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link adopts the results obtained by IRAS, that is, an albedo of 0.1609 and a diameter of 77.69 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 8.15.[5]
Thisminor planet was named fromGreek mythology afterClytemnestra, the daughter ofLeda and the Spartan kingTyndareus. She was the wife ofAgamemnon and the motherOrestes,Electra,Iphigenia andChrysothemis. Clytemnestra and her loverAegisthus murdered Agamemnon on his return from theTrojan War.[3] The minor planets(38),(112),(130),(911),(637) and(8125) were named after these mythological figures.
