161 Athor is an M-type Main belt asteroid that was discovered by James Craig Watson on April 19, 1876, at the Detroit Observatory[1] and named after Hathor, an Egyptian fertility goddess. It is the namesake of a proposed Athor asteroid family, estimated to be ~3 billion years old.[12]
.png) A three-dimensional model of 161 Athor based on its light curve. | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | James Craig Watson |
| Discovery site | Detroit Observatory |
| Discovery date | 19 April 1876 |
| Designations | |
| (161) Athor | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈæθər/,[2] /ˈɑːθər/[3] |
Named after | Hathor |
| A876 HA; 1899 TA; 1961 PF; 1973 YN4 | |
| Main belt[4] | |
| Orbital characteristics[4][5] | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 116.50 yr (42551 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.70593 AU (404.801 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.05285 AU (307.102 Gm) |
| 2.37939 AU (355.952 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.137237 |
| 3.67 yr (1340.6 d) | |
| 348.807° | |
| 0° 16m 6.737s / day | |
| Inclination | 9.05986° |
| 18.6090° | |
| 2024-Jan-13 | |
| 295.007° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Dimensions | 44.19±3.3 km[4] Mean diameter[6] 47.0±0.2 km circular fit[7] |
| 7.280 h (0.3033 d)[4] 7.281 ± 0.001 hours[8] 7.288 ± 0.007 hours[9] | |
| 0.1980±0.033[4][6] | |
| M[10] | |
| 9.15[4][11] | |
Photometric observations of the minor planet in 2010 gave a rotation period of 7.2798±0.0001 h with an amplitude of 0.19±0.02 in magnitude. This result is consistent with previous determinations.[13] An occultation by Athor was observed, on October 15, 2002, showing an estimated diameter of 47.0 kilometres (29.2 mi).[7] The spectra is similar to that of carbonaceous chondrites, with characteristics of ferric oxides and little or no hydrated minerals.[14]
References
External links
- 161 Athor at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
- 161 Athor at the JPL Small-Body Database
