Petit-Prince (moon)

Infobox Planet | discovery=yes | physical_characteristics = yes | bgcolour=#A0FFA0 | minorplanet=yes | width=29em
name=Petit-Prince
discovery_ref = [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/07100/07129.html IAUC 7129] , announcing the discovery]
discoverer=W. J. Merline, L. M. Close,
C. Dumas, C. R. Chapman,
F. Roddier, F. Menard,
D. C. Slater, G. Duvert,
J. C. Shelton, T. Morgan
discovered=November 1, 1998
mp_name=S/1998 (45) 1
mp_category=Main belt
orbit_ref= [http://astro.berkeley.edu/~fmarchis/Science/Asteroids/Eugenia.html synthesis of several observations] , F. Marchis.]
semimajor= 1184 ± 12 km
eccentricity= 0.0100 ± 0.0002
period=4.766 ± 0.001 d
avg_speed=18.1 m/s
inclination= 8.0 ± 0.1°
(with respect to Eugenia equator)
satellite_of = 45 Eugenia
dimensions= ~ 13 km "(estimate)" Assuming the same albedo as Eugenia, then using the difference in absolute magnitude]
mass= ~ 1.2e|15 kg "(estimate)" Assuming same density and albedo as Eugenia]
escape_velocity= ~ 5 m/s "(estimate)"
abs_magnitude= 13.6 cite journal|author=W.J. Merline at al.|title=Discovery of a moon orbiting the asteroid 45 Eugenia|journal=Nature|volume=401|pages=565|year=1999|url=http://adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-bib_query?bibcode=1999Natur.401..565M&db_key=AST|doi=10.1038/44089]

(45) Eugenia I Petit-Prince is an asteroid moon that orbits the larger asteroid 45 Eugenia. It was discovered in 1998 by astronomers at the Canada-France-Hawaii Telescope on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. Initially, it received the provisional designation S/1998 (45) 1.

Petit-Prince was named in 2003 after Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's character The Little Prince, who lives on an asteroid called B612 and was in turn based on the Prince Imperial, son of Napoleon III of France and Empress Eugenia.

Petit-Prince is 13 km in diameter, compared to 45 Eugenia's 214 km. It takes five days to complete an orbit around Eugenia.

Petit-Prince was the first asteroidal moon to be discovered by a ground-based telescope. Previously, the only known moon of an asteroid was Dactyl, discovered by the Galileo space probe around 243 Ida.

ee also

* 2578 Saint-Exupéry
* 46610 Bésixdouze, named "B-six-twelve" in French (and whose number equals 0xB612)
* 612 Veronika

References

External links

* [http://www.johnstonsarchive.net/astro/astmoons/am-00045.html Data sheet compiled by W. Robert Johnston]
* [http://cfa-www.harvard.edu/iauc/07500/07503.html IAUC 7503] , announcing Petit-Prince's naming
* [http://astro.berkeley.edu/~fmarchis/Science/Asteroids/Eugenia.html orbit details compiled by F. Marchis] , includes diagrams