From HandWiki - Reading time: 4 min
![]() 3D convex shape model of 136 Austria | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Johann Palisa |
| Discovery site | Austrian Naval Obs. |
| Discovery date | 18 March 1874 |
| Designations | |
| (136) Austria | |
| Named after | Austria |
| A874 FA; 1950 HT | |
| Minor planet category | main-belt[1][2] · (inner) background[3] |
| Orbital characteristics[2] | |
| Epoch 23 March 2018 (JD 2458200.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 141.11 yr (51,539 d) |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.4812 AU |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2.0927 AU |
| 2.2869 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.0849 |
| Orbital period | 3.46 yr (1,263 d) |
| Mean anomaly | 102.82° |
| Mean motion | 0° 17m 6s / day |
| Inclination | 9.5788° |
| Longitude of ascending node | 186.46° |
| |{{{apsis}}}|helion}} | 2024-Feb-24 |
| 132.95° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Mean diameter | 40.14±1.0 km[2] 40.14 km[4] |
| Mass | 6.8×1016 kg |
| Rotation period | 11.4969 h (0.47904 d)[2] |
| Geometric albedo | 0.1459±0.007[2] 0.1459[4] |
| M[4] | |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 9.69 |
Austria (minor planet designation: 136 Austria) is a main-belt asteroid that was found by the prolific asteroid discoverer Johann Palisa on 18 March 1874, from the Austrian Naval Observatory in Pola, Istria.[5] It was his first asteroid discovery and was given the Latin name of his homeland.
Based upon its spectrum, it is classified as an M-type spectrum, although Clark et al. (1994) suggest it may be more like an S-type asteroid.[6] It shows almost no absorption features in the near infrared, which may indicate an iron or enstatite chondrite surface composition. A weak hydration feature was detected in 2006.[7]
Photometric observations of this asteroid at the European Southern Observatory in 1981 gave a light curve with a period of 11.5 ± 0.1 hours and a brightness variation of 0.40 in magnitude.[4] As of 2013, the estimated rotation period is 11.4969[8] hours.