545 Messalina

545 Messalina
Discovery
Discovered byPaul Götz
Discovery siteHeidelberg
Discovery date3 October 1904
Designations
(545) Messalina
Pronunciation/mɛsəˈlnə/[1] or /mɛsəˈlnə/[2]
1904 OY
Orbital characteristics[3]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc111.54 yr (40741 d)
Aphelion3.7428 AU (559.91 Gm)
Perihelion2.6600 AU (397.93 Gm)
3.2014 AU (478.92 Gm)
Eccentricity0.16912
5.73 yr (2092.2 d)
305.368°
0° 10m 19.416s / day
Inclination11.204°
333.638°
330.686°
Physical characteristics
Mean radius
55.645±2.15 km
7.2 h (0.30 d)
0.0415±0.003
8.84

Messalina (minor planet designation: 545 Messalina) is a minor planet, specifically an asteroid orbiting primarily in the asteroid belt. It was discovered on 3 October 1904 by Paul Götz (provisional name 1904 OY), at Heidelberg. It is named after Valeria Messalina, the third wife of Roman Emperor Claudius.[4][5][6]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Messalina". Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press. (Subscription or participating institution membership required.)
  2. ^ Noah Webster (1884) A Practical Dictionary of the English Language
  3. ^ "545 Messalina (1904 OY)". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 5 May 2016.
  4. ^ Lutz D. Schmadel (2013). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names (Third ed.). Springer Science & Business Media. p. 89. ISBN 978-3-662-06615-7.
  5. ^ Popular Astronomy. Goodsell Observatory of Carleton College. 1906. p. 432.
  6. ^ The Athenaeum. British Periodicals Limited. 1906. p. 705.

External links[edit]