Hilda (
minor planet designation
A formal minor-planet designation is, in its final form, a number–name combination given to a minor planet (asteroid, centaur, trans-Neptunian object and dwarf planet but not comet). Such designation always features a leading number (catalog or ...
: 153 Hilda) is a large
asteroid
An asteroid is a minor planet of the inner Solar System. Sizes and shapes of asteroids vary significantly, ranging from 1-meter rocks to a dwarf planet almost 1000 km in diameter; they are rocky, metallic or icy bodies with no atmosphere.
...
in the outer
main belt, with a diameter of 170 km.
[ Because it is composed of primitive carbonaceous materials, it has a very dark surface. It was discovered by ]Johann Palisa
Johann Palisa (6 December 1848 – 2 May 1925) was an Austrian astronomer, born in Troppau, Austrian Silesia, now Czech Republic. He was a prolific discoverer of asteroids, discovering 122 in all, from 136 Austria in 1874 to 1073 Gel ...
on 2 November 1875, from the Austrian Naval Observatory
This is a list of observatory codes (IAU codes or MPC codes) published by the Minor Planet Center. For a detailed description, ''see observations of small Solar System bodies
Observations of minor planets as well as comets and natural satellites ...
at Pula, now Croatia.[ The name was chosen by the astronomer ]Theodor von Oppolzer
Theodor von Oppolzer (26 October 1841 – 26 December 1886) was an Austrian Empire, Austrian astronomer and mathematician of Bohemia, Bohemian origin.
The son of the physician Johann Ritter von Oppolzer, Theodor was born in Prague. He completed h ...
, who named it after one of his daughters.
Orbit and family
Hilda gives its name to an asteroid group called the Hilda group
The Hilda asteroids (adj. ''Hildian'') are a dynamical group of more than 5,000 asteroids located beyond the asteroid belt but within Jupiter's orbit, in a 3:2 orbital resonance with Jupiter. The namesake is the asteroid 153 Hilda.
Hildas move ...
(or ''Hildas'' for short). It is not a true asteroid family
An asteroid family is a population of asteroids that share similar proper orbital elements, such as semimajor axis, eccentricity, and orbital inclination. The members of the families are thought to be fragments of past asteroid collisions. An a ...
, since the members are not physically related, but rather share similar orbital elements. The Hildas are locked in a 2:3 orbital resonance with Jupiter;[ Jupiter orbits the Sun twice for every 3 orbits that Hilda completes. There are over 1,100 other objects known to be in a 2:3 resonance with Jupiter.][
]
Notes
References
External links
The triangle formed by the Hilda asteroids
EasySky
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Discoveries by Johann Palisa
Named minor planets
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