Discovered by Ernst Wilhelm Tempel Minor planet category Main belt Perihelion 315.937 Gm (2.112 AU) Discovered 29 August 1862 Discovery site Marseille Observatory | Discovery date August 29, 1862 Aphelion 515.376 Gm (3.445 AU) Semi-major axis 415.657 Gm (2.778 AU) Orbits Sun Discoverer Wilhelm Tempel Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
Similar Wilhelm Tempel discoveries, Other celestial objects | ||
74 Galatea (/ˈɡæləˈtiːə/ GAL-ə-TEE-ə) is a large main-belt asteroid. Its surface is very dark in color. Galatea was found by the prolific comet discoverer Ernst Tempel on August 29, 1862, in Marseilles, France. It was his third asteroid discovery. It is named after one of the two Galateas in Greek mythology. A stellar occultation by Galatea was observed on September 8, 1987. The name Galatea has also been given to one of Neptune's satellites.
Photometric observations of this asteroid made during 2008 at the Organ Mesa Observatory in Las Cruces, New Mexico gave a light curve with a period of 17.270 ± 0.002 hours and a brightness variation of 0.08 ± 0.01 in magnitude. The curve displays four minima and four maxima.
References
74 Galatea Wikipedia(Text) CC BY-SA