172 Baucis

172 Baucis is a large main belt asteroid that was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on February 5, 1877. It was named after a fictional character in the Greek legend of Baucis and Philemon. The adjectival form of the name is Baucidian.

DiscoveredbyA. Borrelly

Discoverydate5 February 1877

MPCdesignation

(172) Baucis

Pronunciation/ˈbɔːsɪs/^[1]

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172 Baucis

Lightcurve-base 3D-model of 172 Baucis.
Discovery
Discovered by	A. Borrelly
Discovery date	5 February 1877
Designations
MPC designation	(172) Baucis
Pronunciation	/ˈbɔːsɪs/[1]
Named after	Baucis
Alternative designations	A877 CA; 1921 EE
Minor planet category	Main belt
Orbital characteristics[2]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	133.62 yr (48806 d)
Aphelion	2.6525 AU (396.81 Gm)
Perihelion	2.1073 AU (315.25 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.3799 AU (356.03 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.11454
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.67 yr (1341.0 d)
Mean anomaly	175.49°
Mean motion	0° 16m 6.42s / day
Inclination	10.028°
Longitude of ascending node	331.98°
Argument of perihelion	359.20°
Earth MOID	1.09593 AU (163.949 Gm)
Jupiter MOID	2.67257 AU (399.811 Gm)
TJupiter	3.510
Physical characteristics
Mean radius	31.215±0.6 km
Synodic rotation period	27.417 h (1.1424 d)[2][3]
Geometric albedo	0.1382±0.006
Spectral type	S
Absolute magnitude (H)	8.79

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This object is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.38 AU with an eccentricity of 0.11 and an orbital period of 3.67 years. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 10° to the plane of the ecliptic. Based on infrared measurements, it has a diameter of 62.43 km. It is classified as an S-type asteroid based upon its spectrum.

Photometric observations of this asteroid from the southern hemisphere during 2003 gave a light curve that indicated a slow synodic rotation period of 27.417 ± 0.013 hours and a brightness variation of 0.25 in magnitude.^[3]

Polarimetric study of this asteroid reveals anomalous properties that suggests the regolith consists of a mixture of low and high albedo material. This may have been caused by fragmentation of an asteroid substrate with the spectral properties of CO3/CV3 carbonaceous chondrites.^[4]