ASTEROIDS or MINOR PLANETS : 2

TOP 100 MINOR PLANETS

(Ordered by Discovery Date)

The following table lists the first one hundred asteroids or minor planets that were discovered between 1801 and 1868. There numbers began in dribs-and-drabs with only ten being found before 1850, after which, the next eighteen found ninety. Readers here will find the first ten discussed in some detail, though intime, I may write up another page on the remainder with some short descriptions (as my time permits.)

Most distant of these from the Sun, and by orbital period is Euphrosyne (31) at 5.590 years, while the closest is Sappho (80) with 2.297 years. Largest was the first one discovered, being Ceres, while the tiniest here is Klytia (73). Known binary asteroids are Kalliope (22), Daphe (41), Eugenia (45), Sylvia (87) and Antiope (90), but all of their companion moons are invisible to the amateur telescopist.

Asteroids with an * lists the calculated maximum opposition magnitude that occur uptil 2025 AD. Vesta has the brightest magnitude of all, being sometimes visible to the naked-eye at opposition. All the remainder bodies require optical aid.

Table : Top 100 MINOR PLANETS (As Ordered by Discovery Date)
No.	Name	Period (yr.)	Synodic Period (days)	Dia. (km.)	Opp. Mag.	Disc. (Year)
01	Ceres	4.599	466.74	848.4	06.8	1801
02	Pallas	4.619	466.18	498.1	08.3	1802
03	Juno	4.362	473.90	233.9	10.1	1804
04	Vesta	3.627	504.29	468.3	05.9	1807
05	Astraea	4.136	481.73	119.1	09.8	1845
06	Hebe	3.777	496.78	185.2	08.6	1847
07	Iris	2.686	581.89	199.8	09.0	1847
08	Flora	3.266	526.44	135.9	09.2	1847
09	Metis	3.686	501.24	151	09.6	1848
10	Hygeia	5.589	444.85	407.1	10.0	1849
11	Partherope	3.841	493.82	150	09.5	1850
12	Victoria	5.587	444.88	126	09.6	1850
13	Egeria	4.133	481.84	224	09.9	1851
14	Irene	4.167	480.59	158	09.1	1851
15	Enunomia	4.297	476.04	272	09.1	1851
16	Psyche	5.006	456.43	250	10.1	1852
17	Thetis	3.882	491.99	109	10.0	1852
18	Melpomena	3.479	512.59	150	09.5	1852
19	Fortuna	3.815	495.01	215	09.7	1852
20	Massalia	3.737	498.71	230	09.3	1852
21	Lutetia	3.081	540.77	115	10.5	1852
22	Calliope	4.962	457.44	177	10.0	1852
23	Thalia	4.293	476.17	111	11.5	1852
24	Themis	5.570	445.18	177	11.0	1853
25	Phocaea	3.723	499.39	249	10.6	1853
26	Proserpine	4.329	474.97	80	09.7	1853
27	Euterpe	3.596	505.95	108	09.7	1853
28	Bellora	4.631	465.85	126	10.1	1853
29	Amphitrate	4.087	483.57	195	09.1	1854
30	Urania	3.655	502.83	91	10.0	1854
31	Euphrosyne	5.590	444.83	255.9	10.2*	1854
32	Pomona	4.163	480.73	80.8	10.6*	1854
33	Polyhymnia	4.851	460.10	65	09.9	1854
34	Circe	4.400	472.68	113.5	11.2*	1855
35	Leukothea	5.169	452.87	103.1	11.7*	1855
36	Atalante	4.552	468.09	105.6	10.4*	1855
37	Fides	4.292	476.21	108.3	09.6*	1855
38	Leda	4.544	468.32	115.9	11.2*	1856
39	Laetitia	4.607	466.52	149.5	09.1*	1856
40	Harmonia	3.415	516.50	107.6	09.3*	1856
41	Daphne	4.590	467.00	174.0	09.6*	1856
42	Isis	3.813	495.10	100.2	09.4*	1856
43	Ariadne	3.270	526.16	68	08.8	1857
44	Nysa	3.769	497.16	65	08.5*	1857
45	Eugenia	4.489	469.94	107.3	10.8*	1857
46	Hestia	4.018	486.28	124.1	10.6*	1857
47	Aglaja	4.891	459.13	127.0	11.0*	1857
48	Doris	5.488	446.64	221.8	10.9*	1857
49	Pales	5.412	448.04	149.8	10.7*	1857
50	Virginia	4.314	475.47	99.8	11.8*	1857
51	Nemausan	3.639	503.66	147.9	09.9*	1858
52	Europa	5.461	447.13	305	10.1*	1858
53	Kalypso	4.244	477.85	115.4	11.1*	1858
54	Alexandra	4.457	470.91	165.8	10.1*	1858
55	Pandora	4.585	467.14	66.7	10.6*	1858
56	Melete	4.187	479.86	113.2	10.3*	1859
57	Mnemosyne	3.149	535.22	112.6	10.7*	1859
58	Concordia	4.434	471.62	93.4	12.1*	1860
59	Elpis	4.667	464.86	164.8	10.8*	1860
60	Echo	3.703	500.38	60.2	10.2*	1860
61	Danae	2.982	549.54	82.0	11.0*	1860
62	Erato	3.122	537.38	95.4	12.1*	1860
63	Ausonia	2.395	627.09	103.1	09.7*	1861
64	Angelina	2.684	582.15	50.5	10.2*	1861
65	Cybele	3.433	515.38	237.3	10.9*	1861
66	Maja	2.645	587.29	72.8	11.7*	1861
67	Asia	2.421	622.30	58.1	10.2*	1861
68	Leto	2.783	570.11	122.6	09.6*	1861
69	Hesperia	2.979	549.82	138.1	10.3*	1861
70	Panopaea	2.616	591.28	122.2	10.8*	1861
71	Niobe	2.755	573.38	83.4	10.4*	1861
72	Feronia	2.266	653.77	86.1	10.9*	1861
73	Klytia	2.665	584.63	44.4	12.2*	1862
74	Galatea	2.778	570.68	118.7	10.6*	1862
75	Eurydike	2.674	583.45	55.7	10.6*	1862
76	Freia	3.418	516.31	183.7	11.8*	1862
77	Frigga	2.666	584.50	69.2	11.2*	1862
78	Diana	2.620	590.72	120.6	10.2*	1865?
79	Eurynome	2.444	618.20	66.5	09.6*	1863
80	Sappho	2.297	646.87	78.4	09.8*	1864
81	Terpsichore	2.855	562.16	119.1	11.2*	1864
82	Alkmene	2.760	572.79	61.0	10.6*	1864
83	Beatrix	2.432	620.32	81.4	11.0*	1865
84	Klio	2.362	633.43	79.2	10.8*	1865
85	Io	2.654	586.09	154.8	10.1*	1865
86	Semele	3.114	538.03	120.6	11.6*	1866
87	Sylvia	3.489	512.00	260.9	11.5*	1866
88	Thisbe	2.766	572.08	200.6	09.7*	1866
89	Julia	2.550	600.90	151.5	08.9*	1866
90	Antiope	3.157	534.59	120.1	11.6*	1866
91	Aegina	2.591	594.83	109.8	11.5*	1866
92	Undina	3.190	532.04	126.4	10.5*	1867
93	Minerva	2.754	573.50	141.0	10.7*	1867
94	Aurora	3.159	534.43	204.9	11.5*	1867
95	Arethusa	3.068	541.88	136.0	11.2*	1867
96	Aegle	3.057	542.82	169.9	11.0*	1868
97	Klotho	2.668	584.23	82.8	09.0*	1868
98	Ianthe	2.685	582.02	104.5	11.3*	1868
99	Dike	2.663	584.89	71.9	11.7*	1868
100	Hekate	3.093	539.77	88.7	10.7*	1868

A useful list of all the names and numbered Minor planets, including the date of discovery (as a txt file), can be found at the webpage Minor Planet Center.

***************************************************
Nearest Distance from the Sun / Synodic Period
***************************************************
No Asteroid    Perid Synd   +Days  Dia.  Mag.  Dist
   Name         yr.   days  N.Opp.   "    V    Year
***************************************************
72 Feronia     2.266 653.77 288.51 086.1 10.9* 1861
80 Sappho      2.297 646.87 281.61 078.4 09.8* 1864
84 Klio        2.362 633.43 268.18 079.2 10.8* 1865
63 Ausonia     2.395 627.09 261.83 103.1 09.7* 1861
67 Asia        2.421 622.30 257.04 058.1 10.2* 1861
83 Beatrix     2.432 620.32 255.07 081.4 11.0* 1865
79 Eurynome    2.444 618.20 252.95 066.5 09.6* 1863
89 Julia       2.550 600.90 235.65 151.5 08.9* 1866
91 Aegina      2.591 594.83 229.58 109.8 11.5* 1866
70 Panopaea    2.616 591.28 226.02 122.2 10.8* 1861
***************************************************

***************************************************
Furthest Distance from the Sun / Synodic Period
***************************************************
No Asteroid    Perid Synd   +Days  Dia.  Mag.  Dist
   Name         yr.   days  N.Opp.   "    V    Year
***************************************************
22 Calliope    4.962 457.44 092.19 177   10.0  1852
16 Psyche      5.006 456.43 091.18 250   10.1  1852
35 Leukothea   5.169 452.87 087.61 103.1 11.7* 1855
49 Pales       5.412 448.04 082.79 149.8 10.7* 1857
52 Europa      5.461 447.13 081.88 305   10.1* 1858
48 Doris       5.488 446.64 081.38 221.8 10.9* 1857
24 Themis      5.570 445.18 079.92 177   11.0  1853
12 Victoria    5.587 444.88 079.63 126   09.6  1850
10 Hygeia      5.589 444.85 079.59 407.1 10.0  1849
31 Euphrosyne  5.590 444.83 079.58 255.9 10.2* 1854
***************************************************

***************************************************
By Highest by Brightness Top 100
***************************************************
No Asteroid    Perid Synd   +Days  Dia.  Mag.  Dist
   Name         yr.   days  N.Opp.   "    V    Year
***************************************************
04 Vesta       3.627 504.29 139.04 468.3 05.9  1807
01 Ceres       4.599 466.74 101.49 848.4 06.8  1801
02 Pallas      4.619 466.18 100.93 498.1 08.3  1802
44 Nysa        3.769 497.16 131.91 065   08.5  1857
06 Hebe        3.777 496.78 131.53 185.2 08.6  1847
43 Ariadne     3.270 526.16 160.91 068   08.8  1857
89 Julia       2.550 600.90 235.65 151.5 08.9  1866
97 Klotho      2.668 584.23 218.98 082.8 09.0  1868
07 Iris        2.686 581.89 216.64 199.8 09.0  1847
39 Laetitia    4.607 466.52 101.26 149.5 09.1  1856
***************************************************

***************************************************
By Faintest by Brightness Top 100
***************************************************
No Asteroid    Perid Synd   +Days  Dia.  Mag.  Dist
   Name         yr.   days  N.Opp.   "    V    Year
***************************************************
90 Antiope     3.157 534.59 169.33 120.1 11.6  1866
86 Semele      3.114 538.03 172.78 120.6 11.6  1866
99 Dike        2.663 584.89 219.64 071.9 11.7  1868
66 Maja        2.645 587.29 222.04 072.8 11.7  1861
35 Leukothea   5.169 452.87 087.61 103.1 11.7  1855
76 Freia       3.418 516.31 151.06 183.7 11.8  1862
50 Virginia    4.314 475.47 110.22 099.8 11.8  1857
62 Erato       3.122 537.38 172.13 095.4 12.1  1860
58 Concordia   4.434 471.62 106.36 093.4 12.1  1860
73 Klytia      2.665 584.63 219.37 044.4 12.2  1862
***************************************************

Table 2 : OTHER MINOR PLANETS of NOTE

(As Ordered by Number)

No.

Name

Period
(yr.)

Mean.
Dist.
A.U.

Dia.
(km.)

Opp.
Mag.

Disc.
(Year)

658

Asteria

4.830

2.857

11.5

13.9*

1908

Last Update : 19th August 2012

ASTEROIDS or MINOR PLANETS : 2

TOP 100 MINOR PLANETS

(Ordered by Discovery Date)

Table : Top 100 MINOR PLANETS

(As Ordered by Discovery Date)

Table 2 : OTHER MINOR PLANETS of NOTE

(As Ordered by Number)

For any problems with this Website or Document please e-mail me.