Astronomy:279 Thule

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Short description: Outer main-belt asteroid
279 Thule
Орбита астероидов 279.png
Orbital diagram
Discovery
Discovered byJohann Palisa
Discovery date25 October 1888
Designations
(279) Thule
Pronunciation/ˈθjl/[2]
A888 UA, 1920 GA
1923 RA, 1927 EC
1954 FF[1]
Minor planet categoryAsteroid belt (Thule)
AdjectivesThulean /ˈθjliən/[3]
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc125.34 yr (45780 d)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}4.4617880 astronomical unit|AU (667.47398 Gm)
|{{{apsis}}}|helion}}4.2367660 AU (633.81117 Gm)
4.3492770 AU (650.64258 Gm)
Eccentricity0.025869
Orbital period9.07 yr (3313.0 d)
Mean anomaly62.75874°
Mean motion0° 6m 31.184s / day
Inclination2.323774°
Longitude of ascending node72.46791°
42.36797°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions126.59±3.7 km (IRAS)[1]
Rotation period23.896 h (0.9957 d)[1]
Geometric albedo0.0412±0.003[1]
Physics133 K
B−V=0.75[1]
U−B=0.32[1]
D (Tholen)[1]
X (SMASSII)[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)8.57[1]


Thule, minor planet designation: 279 Thule, is a large asteroid from the outer asteroid belt. It is classified as a D-type asteroid and is probably composed of organic-rich silicates, carbon and anhydrous silicates. Thule was the first asteroid discovered with a semi-major axis greater than 4 AU. It was discovered by Johann Palisa on 25 October 1888 in Vienna and was named after the ultimate northern land of Thule.

Thule asteroids

See also: Minor-planet groups out to Jupiter|Groups of minor planets#Other groups out to the orbit of Jupiter|Minor-planet groups out to Jupiter

Thule was the first discovered member of the Thule dynamical group, which as of 2008 is known to consist of three objects: 279 Thule, (186024) 2001 QG207, and (185290) 2006 UB219.[4] The orbits of these bodies are unusual. They orbit in the outermost edge of the asteroid belt in a 4:3 orbital resonance with Jupiter, the result of the periodic force Jupiter exerts on a body with Thule's orbital period, in the same way (though with the reverse effect) as the Kirkwood gaps in the more inner parts of the asteroid belt.

Known members as of May 2021
Name semimajor axis (au) period (years) eccentricity inclination (°) absolute magnitude Size (km)
279 Thule 4.269 8.82 0.0432 2.334 8.53 126.59±3.7
(185290) 2006 UB219 4.290 8.89 0.1335 7.132 13.84 5.85 4.1–10.1


(186024) 2001 QG207 4.278 8.85 0.2513 3.238 14.53 4.26 3.0–7.4


2006 SJ42 4.286 8.87 0.0465 5.501 15.1 3.28 2.3–5.7


2008 RE93 4.288 8.88 0.1161 3.497 15.49 2.74 1.9–4.7


2014 WN504 4.297 8.91 0.2312 3.193 15.5 2.73 1.9–4.7


2014 QX231 4.283 8.86 0.3722 5.935 16.5 1.72 1.2–3.0


References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 1.8 1.9 "279 Thule". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=279;cad=1. 
  2. Thule (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Thule  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  3. Thulean (3rd ed.), Oxford University Press, September 2005, http://oed.com/search?searchType=dictionary&q=Thulean  (Subscription or UK public library membership required.)
  4. Brož, M.; Vokrouhlický, D. (2008). "Asteroid families in the first-order resonances with Jupiter". Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 390 (2): 715–732. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2008.13764.x. Bibcode2008MNRAS.390..715B. 

External links