532 Herculina facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Max Wolf |
| Discovery date | April 20, 1904 |
| Designations | |
| 1904 NY | |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 22 November 2003 (JD 2452600.5) | |
| Aphelion | 3.26 AU |
| Perihelion | 2.29 AU |
| 2.7719820 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1777919 |
| 4.62 a | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
unknown |
| 142.15781° | |
| Inclination | 16.30843° |
| 107.65510° | |
| 76.86717° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 225 km |
| Mass | ~2.29×1019Kg |
|
Mean density
|
~4 g/cm³ |
| unknown | |
| unknown | |
| 9.404951 h | |
| Albedo | 0.16 |
| Temperature | unknown |
|
Spectral type
|
S |
| 8.82 to 11.99 | |
| 5.81 | |
| 0.228" to 0.073" | |
532 Herculina (say it: herr-kew-LYE-nuh) is a very large asteroid. It travels through space in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter. This space rock is about 225 kilometers (140 miles) wide. That's like driving from New York City to Philadelphia!
Contents
How Herculina Was Found
Herculina was discovered on April 20, 1904. A scientist named Max Wolf found it. He was working at an observatory in Heidelberg, Germany. When it was first seen, it was given the temporary name 1904 NY.
We don't know for sure where the name "Herculina" came from. It might be named after the strong hero Hercules from old myths. Or, it could be named after a woman with that name. Max Wolf often named asteroids after characters in operas. But for Herculina, no one recorded why he chose this name.
What Does Herculina Look Like?
Herculina is one of the biggest asteroids in the main asteroid belt. There are only about 20 other asteroids that are larger.
Scientists have studied Herculina's brightness as it spins. This is called its lightcurve. Its lightcurve is very complex, which made it hard to figure out its exact shape. Early studies in the 1980s tried to guess its shape. Some thought it was like a squashed ball with a bright spot. Others thought it was round with dark spots.
Later, in 2002, scientists used more modern computer models. They looked at how its brightness changed over time. These studies showed that Herculina is not round at all. Instead, it has a blocky shape. One scientist even said it "resembles a toaster"! This means it has many large craters, like another asteroid called 253 Mathilde. The studies also suggest that Herculina's sides are not all the same length.
Does Herculina Have a Moon?
For a while, scientists thought Herculina was the first asteroid found to have its own moon. In 1978, they watched Herculina pass in front of a star. This event is called an occultation. During this occultation, they saw something unusual. It made them think there might be a moon about 45 kilometers (28 miles) wide. They thought this moon orbited Herculina about 1,000 kilometers (620 miles) away.
However, in 1993, scientists used the powerful Hubble Space Telescope. They looked very carefully at Herculina. But they could not find any moon orbiting it. So, it seems Herculina does not have a moon after all.
See also
In Spanish: (532) Herculina para niños
