Minor planet category Main belt Aphelion 3.0759 AU (460.15 Gm) Orbits Sun Asteroid group Asteroid belt | Discovery date 12 September 1871 Observation arc 123.03 yr (44938 d) Discovered 12 September 1871 Discovery site Marseille Observatory | |
Perihelion 2.90810 AU (435.046 Gm) Similar 165 Loreley, 188 Menippe, 56 Melete, 76 Freia, 127 Johanna | ||
117 Lomia is a large main-belt asteroid that has a nearly circular orbit; the orbital eccentricity is 0.029. It was discovered by French astronomer Alphonse Borrelly on September 12, 1871, from the Marseilles Observatory. The preliminary orbital elements were published in the following year by German astronomer Friedrich Tietjen. The reason for the name is uncertain, but Lutz D. Schmadel believes it is most likely a misspelling of Lamia, the female demon of Greek mythology (the asteroid 248 Lameia is also named after this figure).
Photometric observations of this asteroid in 1985 gave a light curve with a period of 9.127 ± 0.009 hours and a brightness variation of 0.29 ± 0.03 in magnitude. The curve is symmetrical with a single maxima and minima. This object has a spectrum that matches an XC classification; occupying the transition range between an X-type and a C-type asteroid.
Two occultations of stars by Lomia have so far been observed, in 2000 and 2003.