3 Juno
   HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

) , mp_category=
Main belt The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, called ...
( Juno clump) , orbit_ref = , epoch= JD 2457000.5 (9 December 2014) , semimajor=2.67070 AU , perihelion=1.98847 AU , aphelion=3.35293 AU , eccentricity=0.25545 , period=4.36463 yr , inclination=12.9817° , asc_node=169.8712° , arg_peri=248.4100° , mean_anomaly= , avg_speed=17.93 km/s , p_orbit_ref = , p_semimajor = 2.6693661 , p_eccentricity = 0.2335060 , p_inclination = 13.2515192° , p_mean_motion = 82.528181 , perihelion_rate = 43.635655 , node_rate = −61.222138 , dimensions=c/a =
(320×267×200)±6 km , mean_diameter = P. Vernazza et al. (2021) VLT/SPHERE imaging survey of the largest main-belt asteroids: Final results and synthesis. ''Astronomy & Astrophysics'' 54, A56
, mass=
James Baer, Steven Chesley & Robert Matson (2011) "Astrometric masses of 26 asteroids and observations on asteroid porosity." ''The Astronomical Journal'', Volume 141, Number 5 , density=
, surface_grav=0.12 m/s2 , escape_velocity=0.18 km/s , rotation=7.21 hr (0.3004 d) , spectral_type= S , rot_velocity= 31.75 m/sCalculated based on the known parameters , magnitude = 7.4 to 11.55 , abs_magnitude=5.33 , albedo=0.202
0.238 , angular_size = 0.30" to 0.07" , single_temperature=~163 K
''max:'' 301 K (+28°C) 3 Juno is a large asteroid in the
asteroid belt The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, c ...
. Juno was the third asteroid discovered, in 1804, by German astronomer Karl Harding. It is one of the twenty largest asteroids and one of the two largest stony ( S-type) asteroids, along with
15 Eunomia Eunomia (minor planet designation 15 Eunomia) is a very large asteroid in the inner asteroid belt. It is the largest of the stony ( S-type) asteroids, with 3 Juno as a close second. It is quite a massive asteroid, in 6th to 8th place (to within ...
. It is estimated to contain 1% of the total mass of the asteroid belt.


History


Discovery

Juno was discovered on 1 September 1804, by Karl Ludwig Harding. It was the third asteroid found, but was initially considered to be a
planet A planet is a large, rounded astronomical body that is neither a star nor its remnant. The best available theory of planet formation is the nebular hypothesis, which posits that an interstellar cloud collapses out of a nebula to create a you ...
; it was reclassified as an asteroid and
minor planet According to the International Astronomical Union (IAU), a minor planet is an astronomical object in direct orbit around the Sun that is exclusively classified as neither a planet nor a comet. Before 2006, the IAU officially used the term ''mino ...
during the 1850s.


Name and symbol

Juno is named after the mythological Juno, the highest Roman goddess. The adjectival form is Junonian (from Latin ''jūnōnius''), with the historical final ''n'' of the name (still seen in the French form, ''Junon'') reappearing, analogous to Pluto ~ Plutonian. 'Juno' is the international name for the asteroid, subject to local variation: Italian ''Giunone'', French ''Junon'', Russian ''Юнона'' (''Yunona''), etc. The old
astronomical symbol Astronomical symbols are abstract pictorial symbols used to represent astronomical objects, theoretical constructs and observational events in European astronomy. The earliest forms of these symbols appear in Greek papyrus texts of late antiq ...
of Juno, still used in astrology, is a scepter topped by a star, ⚵ (). There were many graphic variants with a more elaborated scepter, such as 16px, orbed symbol of Juno, sometimes tilted at an angle to provide more room for decoration. The generic asteroid symbol of a disk with its discovery number, , was introduced in 1852 and quickly became the norm. The scepter symbol was resurrected for astrological use in 1973.


Characteristics

Juno is one of the larger asteroids, perhaps tenth by size and containing approximately 1% the mass of the entire
asteroid belt The asteroid belt is a torus-shaped region in the Solar System, located roughly between the orbits of the planets Jupiter and Mars. It contains a great many solid, irregularly shaped bodies, of many sizes, but much smaller than planets, c ...
.Pitjeva, E. V.
''Precise determination of the motion of planets and some astronomical constants from modern observations''
in Kurtz, D. W. (Ed.), ''Proceedings of IAU Colloquium No. 196: Transits of Venus: New Views of the Solar System and Galaxy'', 2004
It is the second-most-massive S-type asteroid after 15 Eunomia. Even so, Juno has only 3% the mass of
Ceres Ceres most commonly refers to: * Ceres (dwarf planet), the largest asteroid * Ceres (mythology), the Roman goddess of agriculture Ceres may also refer to: Places Brazil * Ceres, Goiás, Brazil * Ceres Microregion, in north-central Goiás ...
. The orbital period of Juno is 4.36578 years. Amongst S-type asteroids, Juno is unusually reflective, which may be indicative of distinct surface properties. This high albedo explains its relatively high
apparent magnitude Apparent magnitude () is a measure of the brightness of a star or other astronomical object observed from Earth. An object's apparent magnitude depends on its intrinsic luminosity, its distance from Earth, and any extinction of the object's ...
for a small object not near the inner edge of the asteroid belt. Juno can reach +7.5 at a favourable opposition, which is brighter than Neptune or Titan, and is the reason for it being discovered before the larger asteroids Hygiea, Europa, Davida, and Interamnia. At most oppositions, however, Juno only reaches a magnitude of around +8.7 —only just visible with binoculars—and at smaller elongations a
telescope A telescope is a device used to observe distant objects by their emission, absorption, or reflection of electromagnetic radiation. Originally meaning only an optical instrument using lenses, curved mirrors, or a combination of both to observ ...
will be required to resolve it. (archived) It is the main body in the Juno family. Juno was originally considered a planet, along with 1 Ceres,
2 Pallas Pallas ( minor-planet designation: 2 Pallas) is the second asteroid to have been discovered, after Ceres. It is believed to have a mineral composition similar to carbonaceous chondrite meteorites, like Ceres, though significantly less hy ...
, and
4 Vesta Vesta ( minor-planet designation: 4 Vesta) is one of the largest objects in the asteroid belt, with a mean diameter of . It was discovered by the German astronomer Heinrich Wilhelm Matthias Olbers on 29 March 1807 and is named after Vesta, t ...
. In 1811, Schröter estimated Juno to be as large as 2290 km in diameter. All four were reclassified as asteroids as additional asteroids were discovered. Juno's small size and irregular shape preclude it from being designated a
dwarf planet A dwarf planet is a small planetary-mass object that is in direct orbit of the Sun, smaller than any of the eight classical planets but still a world in its own right. The prototypical dwarf planet is Pluto. The interest of dwarf planets to ...
. Juno orbits at a slightly closer mean distance to the
Sun The Sun is the star at the center of the Solar System. It is a nearly perfect ball of hot plasma, heated to incandescence by nuclear fusion reactions in its core. The Sun radiates this energy mainly as light, ultraviolet, and infrared radi ...
than Ceres or Pallas. Its orbit is moderately inclined at around 12° to the
ecliptic The ecliptic or ecliptic plane is the orbital plane of the Earth around the Sun. From the perspective of an observer on Earth, the Sun's movement around the celestial sphere over the course of a year traces out a path along the ecliptic agains ...
, but has an extreme
eccentricity Eccentricity or eccentric may refer to: * Eccentricity (behavior), odd behavior on the part of a person, as opposed to being "normal" Mathematics, science and technology Mathematics * Off-Centre (geometry), center, in geometry * Eccentricity (g ...
, greater than that of
Pluto Pluto (minor-planet designation: 134340 Pluto) is a dwarf planet in the Kuiper belt, a ring of bodies beyond the orbit of Neptune. It is the ninth-largest and tenth-most-massive known object to directly orbit the Sun. It is the largest ...
. This high eccentricity brings Juno closer to the Sun at
perihelion An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any elli ...
than Vesta and further out at
aphelion An apsis (; ) is the farthest or nearest point in the orbit of a planetary body about its primary body. For example, the apsides of the Earth are called the aphelion and perihelion. General description There are two apsides in any ell ...
than Ceres. Juno had the most eccentric orbit of any known body until 33 Polyhymnia was discovered in 1854, and of asteroids over 200 km in diameter only 324 Bamberga has a more eccentric orbit. Juno rotates in a prograde direction with an
axial tilt In astronomy, axial tilt, also known as obliquity, is the angle between an object's rotational axis and its orbital axis, which is the line perpendicular to its orbital plane; equivalently, it is the angle between its equatorial plane and orb ...
of approximately 50°.The north pole points towards
ecliptic coordinates The ecliptic coordinate system is a celestial coordinate system commonly used for representing the apparent positions, orbits, and pole orientations of Solar System objects. Because most planets (except Mercury) and many small Solar System bodi ...
(β, λ) = (27°, 103°) within a 10° uncertainty.
The maximum temperature on the surface, directly facing the Sun, was measured at about 293 K on 2 October 2001. Taking into account the heliocentric distance at the time, this gives an estimated maximum temperature of 301 K (+28 °C) at perihelion. Spectroscopic studies of the Junonian surface permit the conclusion that Juno could be the progenitor of
chondrite A chondrite is a stony (non- metallic) meteorite that has not been modified, by either melting or differentiation of the parent body. They are formed when various types of dust and small grains in the early Solar System accreted to form p ...
s, a common type of stony meteorite composed of iron-bearing silicates such as
olivine The mineral olivine () is a magnesium iron silicate with the chemical formula . It is a type of nesosilicate or orthosilicate. The primary component of the Earth's upper mantle, it is a common mineral in Earth's subsurface, but weathers quickl ...
and pyroxene.
Infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...
images reveal that Juno possesses an approximately 100 km-wide crater or ejecta feature, the result of a geologically young impact. Based on MIDAS infrared data using the
Hale telescope The Hale Telescope is a , 3.3 reflecting telescope at the Palomar Observatory in San Diego County, California, US, named after astronomer George Ellery Hale. With funding from the Rockefeller Foundation in 1928, he orchestrated the planning, de ...
, an average radius of 135.7±11 was reported in 2004.


Observations

Juno was the first asteroid for which an
occultation An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden from the observer by another object that passes between them. The term is often used in astronomy, but can also refer to any situation in which an object in the foreground blocks ...
was observed. It passed in front of a dim star ( SAO 112328) on 19 February 1958. Since then, several occultations by Juno have been observed, the most fruitful being the occultation of SAO 115946 on 11 December 1979, which was registered by 18 observers. Juno occulted the magnitude 11.3 star PPMX 9823370 on 29 July 2013, and 2UCAC 30446947 on 30 July 2013. Radio signals from spacecraft in orbit around
Mars Mars is the fourth planet from the Sun and the second-smallest planet in the Solar System, only being larger than Mercury. In the English language, Mars is named for the Roman god of war. Mars is a terrestrial planet with a thin at ...
and on its surface have been used to estimate the mass of Juno from the tiny perturbations induced by it onto the motion of Mars. Juno's
orbit In celestial mechanics, an orbit is the curved trajectory of an object such as the trajectory of a planet around a star, or of a natural satellite around a planet, or of an artificial satellite around an object or position in space such as ...
appears to have changed slightly around 1839, very likely due to perturbations from a passing asteroid, whose identity has not been determined. In 1996, Juno was imaged by the Hooker Telescope at
Mount Wilson Observatory The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. The observat ...
at visible and near-IR wavelengths, using
adaptive optics Adaptive optics (AO) is a technology used to improve the performance of optical systems by reducing the effect of incoming wavefront distortions by deforming a mirror in order to compensate for the distortion. It is used in astronomical tele ...
. The images spanned a whole rotation period and revealed an irregular shape and a dark albedo feature, interpreted as a fresh impact site. File:Juno 4 wavelengths.jpg, Juno seen at four wavelengths with a large crater in the dark ( Hooker telescope, 2003 File:Juno mpl anim.gif, Juno moving across background stars File:3Juno-LB1-apmag.jpg, Juno during opposition in 2009 File:Animation of the asteroid Juno as imaged by ALMA.webm, Video of Juno taken as part of ALMA's Long Baseline Campaign


Oppositions

Juno reaches
opposition Opposition may refer to: Arts and media * ''Opposition'' (Altars EP), 2011 EP by Christian metalcore band Altars * The Opposition (band), a London post-punk band * '' The Opposition with Jordan Klepper'', a late-night television series on Com ...
from the Sun every 15.5 months or so, with its minimum distance varying greatly depending on whether it is near perihelion or aphelion. Sequences of favorable oppositions occur every 10th opposition, i.e. just over every 13 years. The last favorable oppositions were on 1 December 2005, at a distance of 1.063 AU, magnitude 7.55, and on 17 November 2018, at a minimum distance of 1.036 AU, magnitude 7.45.Asteroid 3 Juno at opposition
16 Nov 2018 at 11:31 UTC
The next favorable opposition will be 30 October 2031, at a distance of 1.044 AU, magnitude 7.42. Juno skypath 2005-2006.png, 1 December 2005 Juno skypath 2018-2019.png, 16 November 2018


See also

* Former classification of planets


Notes


References


External links


JPL Ephemeris


taken at
Mount Wilson observatory The Mount Wilson Observatory (MWO) is an astronomical observatory in Los Angeles County, California, United States. The MWO is located on Mount Wilson, a peak in the San Gabriel Mountains near Pasadena, northeast of Los Angeles. The observat ...

Shape model deduced from light curve

Asteroid Juno Grabs the Spotlight
* (displays Elong from Sun and V mag for 2011) * * {{DEFAULTSORT:000003 Juno asteroids Juno Juno Articles containing video clips S-type asteroids (Tholen) Sk-type asteroids (SMASS) 18040901 Objects observed by stellar occultation