74 Galatea

Infobox Planet | discovery=yes | physical_characteristics = yes | bgcolour=#FFFFC0
name=74 Galatea
discoverer=Ernst Wilhelm Tempel
discovered=August 29, 1862
alt_names=
mp_category=Main belt
epoch=December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
semimajor=415.657 Gm (2.778 AU)
perihelion=315.937 Gm (2.112 AU)
aphelion=515.376 Gm (3.445 AU)
eccentricity=0.240
period=1691.658 d (4.63 a)
inclination=4.075°
asc_node=197.313°
arg_peri=174.519°
mean_anomaly=36.838°
avg_speed=17.61 km/s
dimensions=118.7 km
mass=1.8e|18 kg
density=? g/cm³
surface_grav=0.0332 m/s²
escape_velocity=0.0628 km/s
rotation=? d
spectral_type=C [* [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=74%20Galatea;orb=0;cov=0;log=0#orb JPL Small-Body Database Browser ] ]
abs_magnitude=8.66
albedo=0.043 [ [http://www.psi.edu/pds/resource/albedo.html Asteroid Data Sets ] ]
single_temperature=~167 K

74 Galatea "(gal'-ə-tee'-ə," IPAEng|ˈɡæləˈtiːə) is a large Main belt asteroid. Its surface is very dark in color. Galatea was found by the prolific comet discoverer Ernst Tempel on August 29, 1862 in Marseilles, France. It was his third asteroid discovery. It is named after one of the two Galateas in Greek mythology. A stellar occultation by Galatea was observed on September 8, 1987. The name Galatea has also been given to one of Neptune's satellites.

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