2236 Austrasia facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Karl Reinmuth |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg |
| Discovery date | March 23, 1933 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | 2236 |
|
Named after
|
Austrasia |
| 1933 FX | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch May 14, 2008 | |
| Aphelion | 2.8582506 |
| Perihelion | 1.8309596 |
| Eccentricity | 0.2190755 |
| 1311.3027669 | |
| 225.54898 | |
| Inclination | 10.10861 |
| 8.35200 | |
| 300.64651 | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 12.3 | |
2236 Austrasia is a small space rock called an asteroid. It orbits the Sun, just like planets do. This particular asteroid is found in the Asteroid belt, which is a busy area between Mars and Jupiter.
Austrasia was first spotted on March 23, 1933. It was given the temporary name 1933 FX when it was discovered.
Contents
Discovering Austrasia
This asteroid was discovered by a German astronomer named Karl Reinmuth. He worked at an observatory in Heidelberg, Germany. Observatories are special places with powerful telescopes used to study space.
Karl Reinmuth was very good at finding asteroids. He discovered many of them during his career. Finding a new asteroid is exciting because it helps scientists learn more about our Solar System.
Where is the Asteroid Belt?
The Asteroid Belt is like a giant cosmic highway. It's located between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids in our Solar System live here. They are leftovers from when the Solar System first formed, about 4.6 billion years ago.
These asteroids come in many shapes and sizes. Some are as big as small moons, while others are just tiny pebbles. Austrasia is one of the many thousands of asteroids in this belt.
Naming the Asteroid
After an asteroid is discovered and its orbit is confirmed, it gets a permanent number and can be given a name. Asteroid 2236 was named after Austrasia.
Austrasia was an important kingdom in Europe a very long time ago, during the Middle Ages. It was a part of the Frankish Empire. Naming asteroids after historical places or figures is a common tradition among astronomers.
Austrasia's Journey in Space
Austrasia takes about 3.6 years to travel once around the Sun. This is its orbital period. Its path around the Sun is not a perfect circle; it's more of an oval shape, which scientists call an ellipse.
The asteroid belt is a safe place for these space rocks. They mostly stay in their orbits and don't usually crash into each other. Studying asteroids like Austrasia helps us understand how planets formed and how our Solar System evolved.
