896 Sphinx
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_Sphinx.png) Modelled shape of Sphinx from its lightcurve | |
| Discovery[1] | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | M. F. Wolf |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg Obs. |
| Discovery date | 1 August 1918 |
| Designations | |
| (896) Sphinx | |
| Pronunciation | /ˈsfɪŋks/ |
Named after | |
| A918 PE · 1918 DV | |
| Adjectives | Sphinxian /ˈsfɪŋksiən/[6] |
| Orbital characteristics[3] | |
| Epoch 31 May 2020 (JD 2459000.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 101.50 yr (37,074 d) |
| Aphelion | 2.6588 AU |
| Perihelion | 1.9128 AU |
| 2.2858 AU | |
| Eccentricity | 0.1632 |
| 3.46 yr (1,262 d) | |
| 211.73° | |
| 0° 17m 6.72s / day | |
| Inclination | 8.1903° |
| 254.18° | |
| 1.9628° | |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 21.038±0.008 h[10] | |
Pole ecliptic latitude | |
| n.a. | |
| 11.6[1][3] | |
896 Sphinx /ˈsfɪŋks/ is a background asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, that measures approximately 13 kilometers (8 miles) in diameter. It was discovered on 1 August 1918, by astronomer Max Wolf at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory in southwest Germany.[1] The asteroid has a rotation period of 21.0 hours and is one of few low-numbered objects for which no spectral type has been determined. It was named after the Sphinx, a creature from Greek and Egyptian mythology.[2]
Sphinx is a non-family asteroid of the main belt's background population when applying the hierarchical clustering method to its proper orbital elements.[4][5] It orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt at a distance of 1.9–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 6 months (1,262 days; semi-major axis of 2.29 AU). Its orbit has an eccentricity of 0.16 and an inclination of 8° with respect to the ecliptic.[3] The body's observation arc begins at Heidelberg Observatory on 9 October 1918, two months after its official discovery observation.[1]
Naming
This minor planet was named after the Sphinx, a legendary creature from Greek and Egyptian mythology. The female monster has the head of a woman, the haunches of a lion, and the wings of a bird. It has the habit of killing anyone who cannot answer her riddle. The naming citation was mentioned in The Names of the Minor Planets by Paul Herget in 1955 (H 87).[2]
