127 Johanna Explained

Minorplanet:yes
Background:
  1. D6D6D6
127 Johanna
Discoverer:Paul Henry and Prosper Henry
Discovered:5 November 1872
Mpc Name:(127) Johanna
Alt Names:A872 VB
Pronounced:[1]
Named After:Joan of Arc
Mp Category:Main belt
Epoch:31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Semimajor:2.75615AU
Perihelion:2.57138AU
Aphelion:2.9409AU
Eccentricity:0.067041
Period:1671.3days
Inclination:8.2449°
Asc Node:31.154°
Arg Peri:94.611°
Mean Anomaly:67.782°
Avg Speed:17.92 km/s
Dimensions:122
Rotation:12.7988abbr=onNaNabbr=on
Spectral Type:CX (Tholen)
Ch (Bus)
Abs Magnitude:8.6, 8.30
Single Temperature:~168 K
Mean Motion: / day
Observation Arc:98.53 yr (35989 d)
Uncertainty:0
Moid:1.60141AU
Jupiter Moid:2.11199AU
Tisserand:3.325

127 Johanna is a large, dark main-belt asteroid that was discovered by French astronomers Paul Henry and Prosper Henry on 5 November 1872, and is believed to be named after Joan of Arc. It is classified as a CX-type asteroid, indicating the spectrum shows properties of both a carbonaceous C-type asteroid and a metallic X-type asteroid.

A photoelectric study was performed of this minor planet in 1991 at the Konkoly Observatory in Hungary. The resulting light curve showed a synodic rotation period of 6.94 ± 0.29 hours with a brightness variation of 0.2 in magnitude. It was estimated to have an absolute magnitude of 8.459 ± 0.013 with a diameter of and an albedo of 0.06–0.04.

Infrared observations made in 1982 at Konkoly showed a rapid variation that seemed to suggest a shorter rotation period of 1.5 hours; one of the fastest known at the time. However, an irregular shape was suggested as an alternative cause of the rapid variation. The present day established rotation period of this object is 12.7988 hours.

During 2001, 127 Johanna was observed by radar from the Arecibo Observatory. The return signal matched an effective diameter of 117 ± 21 km. A larger diameter value of 123.41 ± 4.07 km was obtained from the Midcourse Space Experiment observations, with an albedo of 0.0557 ± 0.0039. A 2012 study gave a refined diameter estimate of 116.14 ± 3.93 km.

Notes and References

  1. Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language