en 62 Erato

62 Erato
	Lightcurve-based 3D-model of Erato
Discovery
Discovered by	Oskar Lesser; Wilhelm Julius Foerster;
Discovery date	14 September 1860
Designations
MPC designation	(62) Erato
Pronunciation	/ˈɛrətoʊ/
Named after	Ἐρατώ Eratō
Minor planet category	Main-belt (middle); Themis;
Adjectives	Eratoian /ɛrəˈtoʊ.iən/
Orbital characteristics
	Epoch 31 December 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion	3.679 AU (550.4 Gm)
Perihelion	2.566 AU (383.9 Gm)
Semi-major axis	3.122 AU (467.0 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.178
Orbital period (sidereal)	2,015.178 d (5.52 yr)
Mean anomaly	161.828°
Inclination	2.223°
Longitude of ascending node	125.738°
Argument of perihelion	273.285°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	95.4 km
Mass	c. 6.27×1017 kg (calculated)
Mean density	1.38 g/cm3 (assumed)
Synodic rotation period	5.675±0.001 h or 9.2213±0.0007 h
Geometric albedo	0.061
Spectral type	Ch (SMASSII); BU (Tholen);
Absolute magnitude (H)	8.76

62 Erato (/ˈɛrətoʊ/) is a carbonaceous asteroid from the outer region of the asteroid belt, approximately 95 kilometers (59 miles) in diameter. It is a member of the Themis family of asteroids that share similar properties and orbital characteristics. Photometric measurements during 2004–2005 showed a rotation period of 9.2213±0.0007 h with an amplitude of 0.116±0.005 in magnitude.^[5] It is orbiting the Sun with a period of 5.52 yr, a semimajor axis of 3.122 AU, and eccentricity of 0.178. The orbital plane is inclined by an angle of 2.22° to the plane of the ecliptic.

Erato is the first asteroid to have been credited with co-discoverers, Oskar Lesser and Wilhelm Forster, who discovered it on 14 September 1860, from the Berlin Observatory. It was their first and only asteroid discovery. The name was chosen by Johann Franz Encke, director of the observatory, and refers to Erato, the Muse of lyric poetry in Greek mythology.^[7] It has also been classified as a member of the Eos family.^[4]

References

^ Noah Webster (1884). A Practical Dictionary of the English Language.
^ "Asteroid 62 Erato". Small Bodies Data Ferret. Retrieved 24 October 2019.
^ Krasinsky, G. A.; Pitjeva, E. V.; Vasilyev, M. V.; Yagudina, E. I. (July 2002). "Hidden Mass in the Asteroid Belt". Icarus. 158 (1): 98–105. Bibcode:2002Icar..158...98K. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6837.
^ ^a ^b Alvarez-Candal, Alvaro; et al. (December 2004), "Rotational lightcurves of asteroids belonging to families", Icarus, 172 (2): 388–401, Bibcode:2004Icar..172..388A, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2004.06.008.
^ ^a ^b Gonçalves, Rui M. D.; Behrend, Raoul (March 2006), "Lightcurve of 62 Erato", Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers, 33 (1): 7, Bibcode:2006MPBu...33....7G.
^ "Asteroid Data Sets". Planetary Data System Asteroid/Dust Archive. NASA. Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
^ Schmadel, Lutz D. (2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer. p. 21. ISBN 978-3-540-00238-3.