240 Vanadis

240 Vanadis

Orbital diagram
Discovery
Discovered by	A. Borrelly
Discovery date	27 August 1884
Designations
MPC designation	(240) Vanadis
Pronunciation	/ˈvɑːnə.dɪs/
Named after	Freyja
Alternative designations	A884 QB
Minor planet category	Main belt
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	131.61 yr (48072 d)
Aphelion	3.2134 AU (480.72 Gm)
Perihelion	2.1178 AU (316.82 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.6656 AU (398.77 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.20551
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.35 yr (1,589.6 d)
Average orbital speed	18.25 km/s
Mean anomaly	60.5202°
Mean motion	0° 13^m 35.292^s / day
Inclination	2.1043°
Longitude of ascending node	115.191°
Argument of perihelion	300.174°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	103.90±2.5 km[1] 94.03±5.37 km[2]
Mass	(1.10 ± 0.92) × 10^18 kg[2]
Mean density	2.53±2.15 g/cm^3[2]
Synodic rotation period	10.64 h (0.443 d)
Geometric albedo	0.0411±0.002
Spectral type	C
Absolute magnitude (H)	9.00

240 Vanadis is a fairly large main-belt asteroid with a diameter of around 100 km. It was discovered by A. Borrelly on August 27, 1884, in Marseilles and was named after Freyja (Vanadis), the Norse fertility goddess. The asteroid is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.67 AU with a period of 4.35 yr and an orbital eccentricity of 0.206. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 2.10° to the plane of the ecliptic.[1]

Photometric observations of the asteroid made during 2022 were used to produce a light curve that showed a rotation period of 10.565±0.002 h with a brightness variation of 0.07±0.01 in magnitude. This is consistent with earlier estimates.[3] It is very dark and is classified as a C-type asteroid, probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material.

References

1. "240 Vanadis". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
2. Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, vol. 73, pp. 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
3. Pilcher, Frederick (October 2022), "Lightcurves and Rotation Periods of 233 Asterope, 240 Vanadis, 275 Sapientia, 282 Clorinde, 414 Liriope, and 542 Susanna", Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, 49 (4): 346–349, Bibcode:2022MPBu...49..346P.

External links

• The Asteroid Orbital Elements Database
• Minor Planet Discovery Circumstances
• Asteroid Lightcurve Data File
• 240 Vanadis at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 240 Vanadis at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters