68 Leto

68 Leto is a large main belt asteroid that is orbiting the Sun. The asteroid was discovered by German astronomer Robert Luther on April 29, 1861, and is named after Leto, the mother of Apollo and Artemis in Greek mythology. It orbits at a distance of 2.78112 AU over 4.64 years and has an orbital eccentricity of 0.187. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 7.97° to the ecliptic.^[4]

68 Leto

A three-dimensional model of 68 Leto based on its light curve.
Discovery
Discovered by	Karl Theodor Robert Luther
Discovery date	29 April 1861
Designations
MPC designation	(68) Leto
Pronunciation	/ˈlɛtoʊ/[1]
Named after	Λητώ Lētō
Minor planet category	Main belt
Adjectives	Letoian /liːˈtoʊ.iən/[2][3]
Orbital characteristics[4]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	152.08 yr (55548 d)
Aphelion	3.30153 AU (493.902 Gm)
Perihelion	2.26072 AU (338.199 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.78112 AU (416.050 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.18712
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.64 yr (1,694.1 d)
Mean anomaly	48.7204°
Mean motion	0° 12m 45.025s / day
Inclination	7.97189°
Longitude of ascending node	44.1270°
Argument of perihelion	304.826°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	122.57±5.3 km[4] 124.96±6.42 km[5]
Mass	(3.28±1.90)×1018 kg[5]
Mean density	3.21±1.92 g/cm3[5]
Synodic rotation period	14.848 h (0.6187 d)
Geometric albedo	0.2283±0.021[4] 0.228[6]
Spectral type	S
Apparent magnitude	9.56 (brightest)
Absolute magnitude (H)	6.78

Photometric observations of 68 Leto during 1997 provided a rotation period of 14.856 ± 0.024 h.^[7] It has an estimated cross-sectional size of 123 km. The spectral type is S, suggesting a stony, silicate composition.

References

1. "Leto". Lexico UK English Dictionary. Oxford University Press. Archived from the original on 22 March 2020.
2. E. Alan Roberts (2013) The Courage of Innocence: (The Virgin of Phileros), p. 191
3. Greek Λητῷος – Lētōi-os. Liddell, Henry George; Scott, Robert; A Greek–English Lexicon at the Perseus Project
4. "68 Leto". JPL Small-Body Database. NASA/Jet Propulsion Laboratory. Retrieved 12 May 2016.
5. Carry, B. (December 2012), "Density of asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, 73 (1): 98–118, arXiv:1203.4336, Bibcode:2012P&SS...73...98C, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2012.03.009, S2CID 119226456. See Table 1.
6. "Asteroid Data Sets". Archived from the original on 17 December 2009. Retrieved 13 January 2007.
7. López-González, M. J.; Rodríguez, E. (September 2005), "Lightcurves and poles of seven asteroids", Planetary and Space Science, 53 (11): 1147–1165, Bibcode:2005P&SS...53.1147L, doi:10.1016/j.pss.2005.04.010

External links

• 68 Leto at AstDyS-2, Asteroids—Dynamic Site
  • Ephemeris · Observation prediction · Orbital info · Proper elements · Observational info
• 68 Leto at the JPL Small-Body Database
  • Close approach · Discovery · Ephemeris · Orbit viewer · Orbit parameters · Physical parameters