244 Sita

244 Sita is a background asteroid from the inner region of the asteroid belt, approximately 11 kilometers (6.8 miles) in diameter.^[1] It was discovered on 14 October 1884, by an Austrian astronomer Johann Palisa in the Vienna Observatory and was named for the Hindu deity Sita.^[5]

244 Sita

3D model based on lightcurve data
Discovery
Discovered by	Johann Palisa
Discovery date	14 October 1884
Designations
MPC designation	(244) Sita
Pronunciation	/ˈsiːtə/
Named after	Sita
Alternative designations	A884 TA, 1900 UA 1957 KT, 1976 HY 1979 FL3
Minor planet category	main-belt
Orbital characteristics [1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	130.93 yr (47824 d)
Aphelion	2.47317 AU (369.981 Gm)
Perihelion	1.87531 AU (280.542 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.17424 AU (325.262 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.13749
Orbital period (sidereal)	3.21 yr (1,171.0 d)
Mean anomaly	46.3767°
Mean motion	0° 18m 26.737s / day
Inclination	2.84423°
Longitude of ascending node	208.982°
Argument of perihelion	166.029°
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter	10.95±0.8 km [1] 11 km [2]
Mass	~2×1015 (estimate)
Mean density	~2.7 g/cm3 (estimate) [3]
Synodic rotation period	129.51 h (5.396 d)
Geometric albedo	0.1941±0.033 [1] 0.194 [2]
Spectral type	S [4]
Absolute magnitude (H)	11.9

This minor planet is orbiting the Sun at a distance of 2.17 AU with an eccentricity of 0.137 and an orbital period of 3.21 yr. The orbital plane is tilted at an angle of 2.84° to the plane of the ecliptic.^[1] It is spinning slowly, completing a rotation about its axis once every 129.056 ± 0.021 h (5.377 ± 0.001 d).^[6]

References

1. "244 Sita". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
2. "Supplemental IRAS Minor Planet Survey". Archived from the original on 23 June 2006.
3. G. A. Krasinsky, E. V. Pitjeva, M. V. Vasilyev, E. I. Yagudina (2002). "Hidden Mass in the Asteroid Belt". Icarus. 158 (1): 98–105. Bibcode:2002Icar..158...98K. doi:10.1006/icar.2002.6837.
4. PDS spectral class data
5. Schmadel, Lutz (5 August 2003). Dictionary of Minor Planet Names. Springer Science & Business Media. ISBN 9783540002383 – via Google Books.
6. Vander Haagen, Gary A. (April 2010). "Lightcurve and H-G Parameters for Slow Rotator 244 Sita". Bulletin of the Minor Planets Section of the Association of Lunar and Planetary Observers. 37 (2): 44–45. Bibcode:2010MPBu...37...44V.

External links

• The Asteroid Orbital Elements Database
• Minor Planet Discovery Circumstances
• 244 Sita at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 244 Sita at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters