- 878 Mildred
Infobox Planet
width = 25em
name = 878 Mildred
symbol =
background = #FFFFC0
caption =
discovery_ref =
discoverer =S. B. Nicholson and H. Shapley
discovered =1916-09-06
discovery_site = Mount Wilson
mp_name =
mp_category = Nysa
alt_names = 1916 f; mp|1985 VG|6; mp|1991 GZ|8
orbit_ref =
epoch =2008-05-14 (JD 2454600.5)
aphelion = 2.8942342 AU
perihelion = 1.8278436 AU
semimajor = 2.3610389 AU
eccentricity = 0.2258308
period = 3.63 y
avg_speed =
inclination = 2.05983°
asc_node = 172.87244°
mean_anomaly = 104.08321°
arg_peri = 189.87119°
satellites =
dimensions =
mass =
density =
surface_grav =
escape_velocity =
sidereal_day =
axial_tilt =
pole_ecliptic_lat =
pole_ecliptic_lon =
albedo = ~4 km
temp_name1 =
mean_temp_1 =
max_temp_1 =
temp_name2 =
max_temp_2 =
spectral_type = S
abs_magnitude = 15.0JPL Small Body]878 Mildred is a
minor planet in the main belt orbiting theSun . It is the lowest numbered, and thus the namesake, of the Mildred family of asteroids, a subgroup of theNysa family .Cite journal | title = The Puzzling Case of the Nysa–Polana Family | last = Cellino | first = A. | coauthors = et al. | date = August 2001 | journal = Icarus | volume = 152 | issue = 2 | pages = 225–237 | url = http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WGF-458NDHM-M&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=2d5d42fa27bc6d112c2aea363ba6f4e3 | doi = 10.1006/icar.2001.6634] The Mildred subgroup, and by extension 878 Mildred itself, is thought to have been formed by a recent fragmentation event from a larger asteroid.Discovery
878 Mildred was originally discovered in 1916 using the 1.5 m Hale Telescope at the
Mount Wilson Observatory , but was subsequently lost until it was again observed on single nights in 1985 and 1991.Cite journal | title = IAU Circular: IAUC 5275 | date =1991-05-25 | url = http://www.cfa.harvard.edu/iauc/05200/05275.html] Initially only two observations of the asteroid were taken on1916-09-06 which does not allow for an accurate orbital determination, however interest in the object prompted further investigation and more measurements were taken in late September and October.Cite journal | title = The Orbit and Probable Size of a Very Faint Asteroid (878) Mildred | last = Shapley | first = H. | coauthors = Nicholson, S. B. | date = 1917 | journal =Astronomical Journal | volume = 30 | issue = 710 | pages = 127–128 | url = http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/1917AJ.....30..127S/0000127.000.html | doi = 10.1086/104199]Physical properties
By comparing the asteroid's perceived brightness and the then computed distance from the sun they arrived at an absolute visual magnitude of 14.3, which if one assumes Mars-like albedo gives an approximate diameter of 2 to 3 miles (3.2 to 4.8 km).
External links
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References
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