679 Pax

679 Pax is a minor planet orbiting the Sun that was discovered by German astronomer August Kopff on January 28, 1909. It is named after Pax, a Roman goddess. It is orbiting the Sun with a period of 4.16 years and an eccentricity of 0.31.

679 Pax
A three-dimensional model of 679 Pax based on its light curve
Discovery
Discovered byAugust Kopff
Discovery siteHeidelberg
Discovery date28 January 1909
Designations
(679) Pax
Pronunciation/ˈpæks/[1]
1909 FY
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc106.90 yr (39044 d)
Aphelion3.3910 AU (507.29 Gm)
Perihelion1.7808 AU (266.40 Gm)
2.5859 AU (386.85 Gm)
Eccentricity0.31135
4.16 yr (1518.8 d)
33.4022°
0° 14m 13.272s / day
Inclination24.387°
112.263°
266.736°
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
25.735±1.2 km[2]
32.44 ± 1.82 km[3]
Mass(7.14 ± 1.99) × 1017 kg[3]
Mean density
4.99 ± 1.62 g/cm3[3]
8.452 h (0.3522 d)
0.1660±0.017
9.01

    Measurements using the adaptive optics at the W. M. Keck Observatory give a mean diameter of 62 km. This is 16% larger than the diameter estimated using the IRAS observatory. The asteroid is elongated with a size ratio of 1.66 ± 0.23 between the major and minor axes. Photometric measurements reported in 1982 gave a rotation period of 8.452 hours.[4] The asteroid's pole of rotation lies 32° away from the plane of the ecliptic.[5]

    Polarimetric study of this asteroid reveals anomalous properties that suggests the regolith consists of a mixture of low and high albedo material. This may have been caused by fragmentation of an asteroid substrate with the spectral properties of CO3/CV3 carbonaceous chondrites.[6]

    References
    1. "Pax". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
    2. Yeomans, Donald K., "679 Pax", JPL Small-Body Database Browser, NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, retrieved 7 May 2016.
    3. Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, 73, pp. 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009. See Table 1.
    4. Marchis, F.; et al. (November 2006), "Shape, size and multiplicity of main-belt asteroids. I. Keck Adaptive Optics survey", Icarus, 185 (1), pp. 39–63, Bibcode:2006Icar..185...39M, doi:10.1016/j.icarus.2006.06.001, PMC 2600456, PMID 19081813, retrieved 27 March 2013.
    5. Marciniak, A.; et al. (May 2011), "Photometry and models of selected main belt asteroids. VIII. Low-pole asteroids", Astronomy & Astrophysics, 529: 14, Bibcode:2011A&A...529A.107M, doi:10.1051/0004-6361/201015365, A107
    6. Gil-Hutton, R.; et al. (April 2008), "New cases of unusual polarimetric behavior in asteroids", Astronomy and Astrophysics, 482 (1), pp. 309–314, Bibcode:2008A&A...482..309G, doi:10.1051/0004-6361:20078965.

    See also


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