216 Kleopatra Facts for Kids

216 Kleopatra is a special asteroid found in the main asteroid belt. This belt is a busy area between the planets Mars and Jupiter. An astronomer named Johann Palisa discovered Kleopatra on April 10, 1880, while he was in Pola (now called Pula). It was named after Cleopatra, the famous Queen of Egypt.

Quick facts for kids
216 Kleopatra
Discovery
Discovered by	Johann Palisa
Discovery date	April 10, 1880
Designations
Alternative names	A905 OA, A910 RA
Minor planet category	Main belt
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 30 January, 2005 (JD 2453400.5)
Aphelion	523.049 Gm (3.496 AU)
Perihelion	312.544 Gm (2.089 AU)
Semi-major axis	417.796 G m (2.793 AU)
Eccentricity	0.252
Orbital period	1704.704 d (4.67 a)
Average orbital speed	17.82 km/s
Mean anomaly	55.259°
Inclination	13.136°
Longitude of ascending node	215.672°
Argument of perihelion	179.099°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	217 × 94 × 81 km
Mass	unknown
Mean density	3.5+
Rotation period	5.385 h
Albedo	0.116
Temperature	unknown
Spectral type	M
Absolute magnitude (H)	7.3

Dog bone shaped asteroid Kleopatra

Kleopatra's Unique Shape
- How Scientists Saw Its Shape
- What Made It So Odd?
Size and What It's Made Of
Images for kids
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Kleopatra's Unique Shape

Kleopatra is a very unusual space rock because of its strange shape. It looks like a dog bone or a dumbbell! Scientists first saw its odd shape using special telescopes with "adaptive optics." This technology helps telescopes see more clearly through Earth's atmosphere.

How Scientists Saw Its Shape

Later, a team of astronomers used the giant Arecibo radio telescope in Puerto Rico. They sent radio signals towards Kleopatra. Then, they listened for the echoes that bounced back. By studying these echoes, they created a detailed computer model. This model confirmed that Kleopatra really does have a dog-bone shape.

What Made It So Odd?

One popular idea is that Kleopatra is a "contact binary." This means it's actually two asteroids that gently bumped into each other. Instead of breaking apart, they stuck together. Imagine two play-doh balls that you push together lightly. That's a bit like what scientists think happened to Kleopatra.

Size and What It's Made Of

Kleopatra is a pretty big asteroid. It measures about 217 kilometers long, 94 kilometers wide, and 81 kilometers thick. Scientists believe it's mostly made of metal. However, it might not be a solid chunk of metal. It could be more like a loose pile of metallic rubble that's held together. This idea comes from how much radar light it reflects.