.png) A three-dimensional model of 516 Amherstia based on its light curve | |
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Raymond Smith Dugan |
| Discovery date | 20 September 1903 |
| Designations | |
| (516) Amherstia | |
Named after | Amherst College |
| 1903 MG; 1938 YO | |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics[1] | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 112.26 yr (41003 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.4103 AU (510.17 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 1.95161 AU (291.957 Gm) |
| 2.68094 AU (401.063 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.27204 |
| 4.39 yr (1,603.4 d) | |
| 26.3259° | |
| 0° 13m 28.308s / day | |
| Inclination | 12.960° |
| 328.839° | |
| 257.966° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 65.144±0.380 km[1][2] 41.9±3.3 km[3] | |
| Mass | (4.7 ± 2.04/1.46)×1017 kg[2] |
Meandensity | 3.246 ± 1.408/1.011 g/cm3[2] |
| 0.312 d[4] 7.4842 h (0.31184 d)[1] | |
| 0.163–0.173[5] 0.202±0.015[1] | |
| M-type asteroid | |
| 8.40[1] | |
516 Amherstia was the 8th asteroid discovered byRaymond Smith Dugan, and was named afterAmherst College, hisalma mater. Amherstia is a largeM-typemain belt asteroid, with an estimated diameter of 73 km. It follows an eccentric orbit betweenJupiter andMars, with an orbital period of 4.39 years. Theorbital plane is inclined at an angle of 13° to theecliptic.
In 1989, the asteroid was observed from theCollurania-Teramo Observatory, allowing alight curve to be produced that showed an estimatedrotation period of 7.49 hours and a brightness variation of 0.25 ± 0.01 inmagnitude.[6] On January 14, 2002, Amherstia was observed tooccult the seventh-magnitude star SAO 60107 from ten sites in Florida. The measured timing chords were used to estimate a cross-section diameter of41.9±3.3 km with a generally circular profile.[3] Thenear infrared spectra of Amherstia suggests a surface consisting of a singlemafic silicate withiron–nickel alloy. The infrared albedo is 16%.[7]
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