63 Ausonia is a stony Vestianasteroid from the inner region of theasteroid belt, approximately 100 kilometers (60 miles) in diameter. It was discovered by Italian astronomerAnnibale de Gasparis on 10 February 1861, from theAstronomical Observatory of Capodimonte, in Naples, Italy. The initial choice of name for the asteroid was "Italia", afterItaly, but this was modified toAusonia, an ancient classical name for the Italian region.[4]
It orbits the Sun in theinner asteroid belt at a distance of 2.1–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 9 months (1,354 days;semi-major axis of 2.40 AU). Its orbit has aneccentricity of 0.13 and aninclination of 6° with respect to theecliptic.[1]
According to the surveys carried out by the Infrared Astronomical SatelliteIRAS, the JapaneseAkari satellite and theNEOWISE mission of NASA'sWide-field Infrared Survey Explorer,Ausonia measures between 87.47 and 116.044 kilometers in diameter and its surface has analbedo between 0.125 and 0.25.[9][10][12][13][25][24] TheCollaborative Asteroid Lightcurve Link derives an albedo of 0.2082 and a diameter of 90 kilometers based on anabsolute magnitude of 7.55.[5]
^abcdeP. Vernazza et al. (2021) VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis.Astronomy & Astrophysics 54, A56
^abcdUsui, Fumihiko; Kuroda, Daisuke; Müller, Thomas G.; Hasegawa, Sunao; Ishiguro, Masateru; Ootsubo, Takafumi; et al. (October 2011). "Asteroid Catalog Using Akari: AKARI/IRC Mid-Infrared Asteroid Survey".Publications of the Astronomical Society of Japan.63 (5):1117–1138.Bibcode:2011PASJ...63.1117U.doi:10.1093/pasj/63.5.1117. (online,AcuA catalog p. 153)
^Lagerkvist, C.-I.; Magnusson, P.; Williams, I. P.; Buontempo, M. E.; Gibbs, P.; Morrison, L. V. (June 1989). "Physical studies of asteroids. XIX - Phase relations and composite lightcurves obtained with the Carlsberg Meridian Circle".Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement Series.78 (3):519–532.Bibcode:1989A&AS...78..519L.ISSN0365-0138.
^Lupishko, D. F.; Velichko, F. P. (February 1987). "The sense of rotation of asteroids 21, 63, 216, and 349".Kinematika I Fizika Nebesnykh Tel.3: 57–65.InRussian.Bibcode:1987KFNT....3...57L.ISSN0233-7665.
^Hainaut-Rouelle, M.-C.; Hainaut, O. R.; Detal, A. (July 1995). "Lightcurves of selected minor planets".Astronomy and Astrophysics Supplement.112: 125.Bibcode:1995A&AS..112..125H.
^abcMasiero, Joseph R.; Mainzer, A. K.; Grav, T.; Bauer, J. M.; Cutri, R. M.; Nugent, C.; et al. (November 2012). "Preliminary Analysis of WISE/NEOWISE 3-Band Cryogenic and Post-cryogenic Observations of Main Belt Asteroids".The Astrophysical Journal Letters.759 (1): 5.arXiv:1209.5794.Bibcode:2012ApJ...759L...8M.doi:10.1088/2041-8205/759/1/L8.S2CID46350317.