132 Aethra

Infobox Planet | discovery=yes | physical_characteristics = yes | bgcolour=#FFFFC0
name=132 Aethra
discoverer=James C. Watson
discovered=June 13, 1873
alt_names=A922 XB; 1949 MD; 1953 LF
mp_category=Main belt (Mars crosser)
epoch=July 14, 2004 (JD 2453200.5)
semimajor=390.199 Gm (2.608 AU)
perihelion=238.558 Gm (1.595 AU)
aphelion=541.841 Gm (3.622 AU)
eccentricity=0.389
period=1538.652 d (4.21 a)
inclination=25.055°
asc_node=258.945°
arg_peri=254.330°
mean_anomaly=89.813°
avg_speed=17.72 km/s
dimensions=42.7 km
mass=8.2×10¹⁶ kg
density=2 ? g/cm³
surface_grav=0.012 m/s²
escape_velocity=0.023 km/s
rotation=0.2153 d [ [http://www.psi.edu/pds/archive/lc.html] Dead link|date=March 2008]
spectral_type=M
abs_magnitude=9.38
albedo=0.172 [http://dorothy.as.arizona.edu/DSN/IRAS/index_iras.html]
single_temperature=~168 KDiscovered by James Craig Watson in 1873, 132 Aethra is a M-type main belt asteroid. It has a rather eccentric orbit that sometimes brings it closer to the Sun than the planet Mars. It was the first such Mars-crosser asteroid to be identified.

The varying light curve of the asteroid implies an elongated or irregular shape for its body.

It is named after Aethra, the mother of Theseus in Greek mythology.

References