50 Virginia

Infobox Planet | discovery=yes | physical_characteristics = yes | bgcolour=#FFFFC0
name=50 Virginia
discoverer=Karl Theodor Robert Luther
discovered=October 4, 1857
alt_names=
mp_category=Main belt
epoch=December 31, 2006 (JD 2454100.5)
semimajor=396.603 Gm (2.651 AU)
perihelion=283.389 Gm (1.894 AU)
aphelion=509.817 Gm (3.408 AU)
eccentricity=0.285
period=1576.682 d (4.32 a)
inclination=2.834°
asc_node=173.773°
arg_peri=199.961°
mean_anomaly=210.994°
avg_speed=17.91 km/s
dimensions=99.8 km
mass=1.0e|18 kg
density=? g/cm³
surface_grav=0.0279 m/s²
escape_velocity=0.0528 km/s
rotation=14.31 h [* [http://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=50%20Virginia;orb=0;cov=0;log=0#orb JPL Small-Body Database Browser ] ]
spectral_type=Ch
abs_magnitude=9.24
albedo=0.036 [ [http://www.psi.edu/pds/resource/albedo.html Asteroid Data Sets ] ]
single_temperature=~171 K

50 Virginia is a large, very dark Main belt asteroid. It was discovered by J. Ferguson on October 4, 1857. R. Luther found it independently on October 19, and his discovery was announced first. The reason for Virginia's name is not known. It is probably named after Verginia, the Roman noblewoman slain by her father, but it may alternatively have been named after the American state of Virginia.

References