85 Io facts for kids
85 Io is a large, dark asteroid found in the Asteroid belt. Think of it as a big space rock! It belongs to a group called C-type asteroids, which means it's likely made of simple materials like carbonates. Even though it orbits near the Eunomia family of asteroids, it's not actually part of that family.
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | C. H. F. Peters |
| Discovery date | September 19, 1865 |
| Designations | |
| A899 LA; A899 UA | |
| Main belt | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch March 6, 2006 (JD 2453800.5) | |
| Aphelion | 473.341 Gm (3.164 AU) |
| Perihelion | 320.334 Gm (2.141 AU) |
| 396.837 G m (2.652 AU) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.193 |
| 1578.081 d (4.32 a) | |
|
Average orbital speed
|
18.12 km/s |
| 206.947° | |
| Inclination | 11.967° |
| 203.440° | |
| 122.293° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 180×160×160 km |
| Mass | ~3.4×1018 (estimate) |
|
Mean density
|
~1.4 g/cm³ (estimate) |
| ~0.028 m/s² (estimate) | |
| ~0.07 km/s (estimate) | |
| 0.2864 d (6.875 h) | |
| Albedo | 0.067 |
| Temperature | ~172 K max: 272K (-2° C) |
|
Spectral type
|
C-type asteroid |
| 7.61 | |
Contents
How Does 85 Io Spin?
85 Io spins backwards compared to most objects in our solar system. This is called a retrograde rotation. Its axis, which is the imaginary line it spins around, is tilted quite a bit, about 115 to 125 degrees. Even though it's an asteroid, its shape is actually pretty round, almost like a sphere.
Who Discovered 85 Io?
The asteroid 85 Io was discovered by a person named Christian Heinrich Friedrich Peters on September 19, 1865. He named it after Io, a character from Greek mythology. In the myths, Io was a lover of the god Zeus.
How Big Is 85 Io?
Scientists have measured 85 Io and found that it is about 178 kilometres across. They figured this out by watching it pass in front of a distant star on December 10, 1995. This event is called an occultation.
Is There Another Io in Space?
Yes, there is! Io is also the name of a very active, volcanic moon that orbits the giant planet Jupiter. It can be a bit confusing because both are named Io. However, 85 Io is special because it has the shortest name of all the minor planets, with just a two-digit number and a two-letter name.
See also
In Spanish: (85) Io para niños
