634 Ute facts for kids
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | August Kopff |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg |
| Discovery date | 12 May 1907 |
| Designations | |
| MPC designation | (634) Ute |
| 1907 ZN | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 108.89 yr (39772 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.6093 AU (539.94 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.4805 AU (371.08 Gm) |
| 3.0449 AU (455.51 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.18536 |
| 5.31 yr (1940.7 d) | |
| 96.526° | |
|
Mean motion
|
0° 11m 7.8s / day |
| Inclination | 12.289° |
| 133.446° | |
| 220.467° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
|
Mean radius
|
34.72±2.05 km |
| 11.7554 h (0.48981 d) | |
| 0.0530±0.007 | |
| 9.8 | |
634 Ute is a small space rock called a minor planet. It travels around the Sun in a path similar to Earth's. Scientists also call it an asteroid.
Contents
About Asteroid 634 Ute
Asteroid 634 Ute is one of many thousands of small objects that orbit the Sun. It is located in the main asteroid belt. This belt is a region between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Most asteroids in our solar system live here.
How 634 Ute Was Found
This asteroid was discovered a long time ago. It was found on May 12, 1907. The person who discovered it was a scientist named August Kopff. He found it while working at the Heidelberg Observatory. This observatory is in Germany.
634 Ute's Journey Around the Sun
Every object in space follows a path called an orbit. Asteroid 634 Ute orbits the Sun. It takes about 5.31 Earth years to complete one full trip around the Sun. That's about 1940 days!
- Distance from the Sun:
- At its closest point to the Sun, called perihelion, Ute is about 2.48 AU away. One AU is the distance from Earth to the Sun.
- At its farthest point, called aphelion, it is about 3.61 AU from the Sun.
- Orbit Shape: Ute's orbit is not a perfect circle. It is a bit stretched out, like an oval. Scientists call this an eccentric orbit.
- Tilt of Orbit: Ute's path around the Sun is also tilted. It is tilted by about 12.29 degrees compared to Earth's orbit.
What 634 Ute Is Like
Scientists have studied 634 Ute to learn more about it.
- Size: This asteroid is quite large for a space rock. Its average radius is about 34.72 kilometers. That's like a small city!
- Spin: 634 Ute also spins as it travels through space. It completes one full spin in about 11.76 hours. That's less than half an Earth day.
- Surface: The surface of 634 Ute is not very bright. It has a low albedo of about 0.053. This means it reflects only about 5.3% of the sunlight that hits it. It is probably quite dark, like charcoal.
- Type: Scientists classify 634 Ute as an X-type asteroid. This means it likely contains a lot of metal, like iron and nickel. It might also have some rocky materials.
