81 Terpsichore

Main-belt asteroid

81 Terpsichore

Orbital diagram

Discovery
Discovered by| Ernst Wilhelm Tempel
Discovery date| September 30, 1864
Designations

MPC designation

| (81) Terpsichore
Pronunciation| /tɜːrpˈsɪxərɛ/[1]

Named after

| Terpsichore

Minor planet category

| Main belt
Adjectives| Terpsichorean /tɜːrpsɪxəˈriːən/[1]
Orbital characteristics
Epoch December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
Aphelion| 516.955 Gm (3.456 AU)
Perihelion| 337.132 Gm (2.254 AU)

Semi-major axis

| 427.044 Gm (2.855 AU)
Eccentricity| 0.211

Orbital period (sidereal)

| 1761.647 d (4.82 a)

Average orbital speed

| 17.43 km/s

Mean anomaly

| 149.581°
Inclination| 7.809°

Longitude of ascending node

| 1.497°

Argument of perihelion

| 50.234°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions| 121.77 ± 2.34 km[2]
Mass| (6.19 ± 5.31) × 1018 kg[2]

Mean density

| 6.54 ± 5.62 g/cm3[2]

Synodic rotation period

| 10.943 hr

Geometric albedo

| 0.051 [3]

Spectral type

| C

Absolute magnitude (H)

| 8.48

Terpsichore (minor planet designation: 81 Terpsichore) is a large and very dark main-belt asteroid. It has most probably a very primitive carbonaceous composition. It was found by the prolific comet discoverer Ernst Tempel on September 30, 1864.[4] It is named after Terpsichore, the Muse of dance in Greek mythology.

Photometric observations of the minor planet in 2011 gave a rotation period of 10.945±0.001 h with an amplitude of 0.09±0.01 in magnitude. This result is consistent with previous determinations.[5] Two stellar occultation events involving this asteroid were observed from multiple sites in 2009. The resulting chords matched a smooth elliptical cross-section with dimensions of 134.0±4.0 km × 108.9±0.7 km.[6]

## In popular culture[edit]

A space station orbiting 81 Terpsichore is the main setting in the science fiction story The Dark Colony (Asteroid Police Book 1) by Richard Penn.

## References[edit]

1. ^ a b "Terpsichore". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
2. ^ a b c Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, vol. 73, pp. 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
3. ^ Asteroid Data Sets Archived 2009-12-17 at the Wayback Machine
4. ^ Tempel, M. (November 1864), "Minor Planet 81 Terpsichore discovered", Monthly Notices of the Royal Astronomical Society, 25: 31, Bibcode:1864MNRAS..25...31T.
5. ^ Pilcher, Frederick (July 2011), "Rotation Period Determinations for 28 Bellona, 81 Terpsichore, 126 Velleda 150 Nuwa, 161 Athor, 419 Aurelia, and 632 Pyrrha", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 38 (3): 156−158, Bibcode:2011MPBu...38..156P.
6. ^ Timerson, Brad; Durech, J.; Pilcher, F.; et al. (October 2010), "Occultations by 81 Terpsichore and 694 Ekard in 2009 at Different Rotational Phase Angles", The Minor Planet Bulletin, 37 (4): 140−142, Bibcode:2010MPBu...37..140T.

## External links[edit]

* 81 Terpsichore at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
* Ephemeris * Observation prediction * Orbital info * Proper elements * Observational info
* 81 Terpsichore at the JPL Small-Body Database
* Close approach * Discovery * Ephemeris * Orbit diagram * Orbital elements * Physical parameters

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