Mathilde (minor planet 253)
A main-belt asteroid, discovered by Johann
Palisa, that was flown past at close range,
on Jun. 27, 1997, by the NEAR-Shoemaker probe
on its way to Eros. Not only is Mathilde
one of the slowest spinning asteroids (only 1220 Clocus and 288 Glauke have
longer rotational periods), but it is also one of the blackest objects in
the Solar System – twice as dark as chunk of charcoal
– reflecting only 3% of the light that strikes it. Its surface has
a spectroscopic signature the same as that of carbonaceous
chondrites, whose typical density is about 2 g/cm3. The fact
that Mathilde has a much lower density than this suggests that it is a rubble-pile
asteroid made of big chunks with large voids in between, or lots of
loose, smaller pieces, like gravel.
| diameter |
66 × 48 × 46 km |
| density |
1.3 g/cm3 |
| spectral class |
C |
| rotational period |
17.4 days |
| semimajor axis |
2.646 AU |
| eccentricity |
0.266 |
| inclination |
6.71° |
| period |
4.31 years |
Related category
• NOTABLE
ASTEROIDS, CENTAURS, AND KUIPER BELT OBJECTS
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