51 Nemausa

51 Nemausa (pronounced /nɨˈmɔːzə/) is a large Main belt asteroid similar to 1 Ceres in composition. It was discovered in the city of Nîmes, France, after which it was named (in its Latin name). The discoverer was a certain "A. Laurent" who never made any more asteroid discoveries and about whom not much seems to be known. The asteroid was discovered using the private observatory at the house formerly occupied by Benjamin Valz, who left to become the new director of the Marseille Observatory. He entrusted his former observatory to A. Laurent, who later found the asteroid. The house, at 32 rue Nationale in Nîmes, has a plaque commemorating the discovery.

A small satellite has been suggested based on lightcurve data.[4]

Nemausa may have a water content of about 14%.[5]

See also

* 162 Laurentia

References

1. ^ "JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 51 Nemausa". 2008-05-09 last obs. http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=51. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
2. ^ "Diameters". Astronomical Applications Department of the U.S. Naval Observatory. http://aa.usno.navy.mil/AsAtest/SecG/Diameters.txt. Retrieved 2008-05-23.
3. ^ Asteroid Data Sets
4. ^ Other reports of asteroid/TNO companions
5. ^ A. S. Rivkin (2002). "CALCULATED WATER CONCENTRATIONS ON C CLASS ASTEROIDS" (PDF). Lunar and Planetary Institute. http://www.lpi.usra.edu/meetings/lpsc2002/pdf/1414.pdf. Retrieved 2008-05-22.

External links

* Orbital simulation from JPL (Java) / Horizons Ephemeris