HYGIEA is the tenth minor planet, being discovered by Annibale de Gasparis (Gaspari) from Naples, Italy on 12th April 1849 within the constellation of Scorpius. This is the fourth largest of the bodies found in the asteroid belt, that lies between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter. Only Ceres, Vesta and Juno, are bigger, with Hygiea given size being 429.8 km, which is based on several asteroidal occultations. Although large, Hygiea is a fairly dark body, whose maximum magnitude never rises above 9.1, but mostly to observers remains below than 10.5 magnitude.
In Greek mythology, Hygiea is the daughter of Asclepius, the god associated with healing, whose Roman equivalent is Salus She was mostly worshipped as the goddess of general health, hygiene and sanitation; whose importance and praise was with the prevention of disease and sickness that often ravaged the ancient populations. Her duties were shared with her young adolescent brother.
HYGIEA DATADiscoverer : A. Gaspari Date : 12th April 1849 Satellites : 0 Diameter : 429±8km. Polar Tilt :° Period (P) : 5.56 years Synodic Period : 430.01 days Orbital Velocity : ~18 km.s-1 Perihelion (q) : 2.76 A.U. Aphelion (Q) : 3.51 A.U. Eccentricity (e) : 0.1194 Inclination (i) : 3.842° Mass : 6.02±0.07×19 kg. Mean Density : 2.4 g.cm-3 Mean Distance : 3.138 AU or 4.699 ×108 km. Sidereal Rotation : 18.4 hr? / 1.151 d. Mean Sidereal Rotation : 1.15 d. Maximum Diameter : 0.34″ (arcsec) Minimum Diameter : 0.11″ (arcsec) Maximum Magnitude : 9.1 Minimum Magnitude : 12.1 |
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 10 Jan 04 12.5 +23 23 11.0 2.706 3.479 136 Tau 24 Jan 04 09.7 +22 59 11.2 2.865 3.473 121 Tau 07 Feb 04 11.3 +22 47 11.4 3.049 3.466 107 Tau 21 Feb 04 16.8 +22 46 11.6 3.247 3.460 094 Tau 07 Mar 04 25.8 +22 54 11.7 3.448 3.452 082 Tau 21 Mar 04 37.6 +23 07 11.8 3.642 3.444 071 Tau 04 Apr 04 51.8 +23 22 11.8 3.822 3.436 060 Tau 18 Apr 05 07.9 +23 36 11.9 3.983 3.427 050 Tau 02 May 05 25.5 +23 46 11.9 4.121 3.418 041 Tau 16 May 05 44.1 +23 49 11.8 4.232 3.408 031 Tau 30 May 06 03.6 +23 45 11.8 4.314 3.398 022 Gem 13 Jun 06 23.7 +23 32 11.7 4.367 3.387 013 Gem 27 Jun 06 44.0 +23 09 11.5 4.388 3.376 005 Gem 11 Jul 07 04.4 +22 36 11.4 4.378 3.365 004 Gem 25 Jul 07 24.7 +21 53 11.6 4.337 3.353 012 Gem 08 Aug 07 44.5 +21 01 11.7 4.266 3.340 021 Gem 22 Aug 08 03.8 +20 01 11.7 4.165 3.328 030 Cnc 05 Sep 08 22.3 +18 54 11.8 4.036 3.315 039 Cnc 19 Sep 08 39.8 +17 43 11.7 3.882 3.301 048 Cnc 03 Oct 08 56.0 +16 29 11.7 3.706 3.287 058 Cnc 17 Oct 09 10.6 +15 16 11.6 3.511 3.273 068 Cnc 31 Oct 09 23.1 +14 06 11.5 3.302 3.259 079 Leo 14 Nov 09 33.2 +13 02 11.4 3.086 3.244 090 Leo 28 Nov 09 40.3 +12 11 11.2 2.870 3.229 102 Leo 12 Dec 09 43.8 +11 34 11.0 2.664 3.214 116 Leo 26 Dec 09 43.2 +11 17 10.7 2.478 3.199 130 Leo *********************************************************
Hygiea apparation during 2009 is quite disappointing, an other than January and February and late December, will be difficult to observe. Much of the year will see this minor planet below 11th magnitude, which in the first half of 2009 decreases as Hygiea moves towards solar conjuction on 20th July. Hygeia will be best observed in early February 2010, when the opposition magnitude eaks at 9.8 magnitude.
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 09 Jan 09 38.4 +11 20 10.4 2.326 3.184 145 Leo 23 Jan 09 29.8 +11 43 10.1 2.219 3.168 161 Leo 06 Feb 09 18.8 +12 20 09.8 2.167 3.152 177 Cnc 20 Feb 09 07.5 +13 01 10.0 2.174 3.136 164 Cnc 06 Mar 08 58.1 +13 37 10.3 2.236 3.120 148 Cnc 20 Mar 08 52.3 +14 02 10.5 2.345 3.104 132 Cnc 03 Apr 08 51.0 +14 11 10.7 2.488 3.088 118 Cnc 17 Apr 08 54.0 +14 04 10.9 2.652 3.072 105 Cnc 01 May 09 01.0 +13 40 11.1 2.827 3.057 093 Cnc 15 May 09 11.3 +13 00 11.2 3.005 3.041 082 Cnc 29 May 09 24.2 +12 05 11.3 3.176 3.025 072 Leo 12 Jun 09 39.1 +10 56 11.4 3.337 3.009 063 Leo 26 Jun 09 55.6 +09 34 11.4 3.483 2.994 054 Leo 10 Jul 10 13.3 +07 59 11.4 3.611 2.979 045 Leo 24 Jul 10 31.8 +06 14 11.4 3.718 2.964 037 Sex 07 Aug 10 51.1 +04 18 11.3 3.802 2.949 028 Sex 21 Aug 11 10.9 +02 15 11.2 3.863 2.935 020 Leo 04 Sep 11 31.1 +00 06 11.1 3.898 2.921 012 Leo 18 Sep 11 51.7 -02 08 10.9 3.908 2.908 005 Vir 02 Oct 12 12.5 -04 25 10.9 3.891 2.895 005 Vir 16 Oct 12 33.4 -06 42 11.0 3.848 2.882 012 Vir 30 Oct 12 54.5 -08 59 11.1 3.779 2.870 020 Vir 13 Nov 13 15.5 -11 12 11.2 3.686 2.859 029 Vir 27 Nov 13 36.5 -13 20 11.2 3.568 2.848 037 Vir 11 Dec 13 57.1 -15 20 11.2 3.429 2.838 046 Vir 25 Dec 14 17.0 -17 12 11.2 3.271 2.828 055 Vir *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 08 Jan 14 36.1 -18 53 11.1 3.096 2.819 065 Lib 22 Jan 14 53.7 -20 21 11.0 2.910 2.811 074 Lib 05 Feb 15 09.4 -21 37 10.9 2.715 2.803 085 Lib 19 Feb 15 22.4 -22 40 10.7 2.519 2.797 096 Lib 05 Mar 15 32.0 -23 27 10.5 2.328 2.791 107 Lib 19 Mar 15 37.3 -23 59 10.3 2.151 2.786 120 Lib 02 Apr 15 37.7 -24 13 10.0 1.996 2.782 134 Lib 16 Apr 15 33.1 -24 06 09.7 1.874 2.778 148 Lib 30 Apr 15 24.2 -23 37 09.4 1.795 2.776 164 Lib 14 May 15 13.1 -22 48 09.1 1.766 2.774 175 Lib 28 May 15 02.3 -21 49 09.4 1.790 2.773 163 Lib 11 Jun 14 54.4 -20 51 09.7 1.863 2.774 147 Lib 25 Jun 14 50.8 -20 08 10.0 1.978 2.775 133 Lib 09 Jul 14 51.9 -19 44 10.2 2.125 2.777 120 Lib 23 Jul 14 57.6 -19 41 10.5 2.292 2.779 108 Lib 06 Aug 15 07.3 -19 56 10.7 2.473 2.783 097 Lib 20 Aug 15 20.4 -20 25 10.8 2.659 2.787 087 Lib 03 Sep 15 36.4 -21 03 11.0 2.844 2.793 077 Lib 17 Sep 15 54.7 -21 44 11.1 3.024 2.799 068 Sco 01 Oct 16 15.0 -22 24 11.1 3.195 2.806 059 Sco 15 Oct 16 36.9 -23 00 11.2 3.351 2.813 050 Oph 29 Oct 17 00.1 -23 27 11.2 3.491 2.822 041 Oph 12 Nov 17 24.3 -23 44 11.2 3.612 2.831 033 Oph 26 Nov 17 49.2 -23 48 11.1 3.711 2.841 024 Sgr 10 Dec 18 14.5 -23 37 11.0 3.785 2.851 016 Sgr 24 Dec 18 39.8 -23 12 10.9 3.834 2.862 008 Sgr *********************************************************
********************************************************* 0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o hh mm.m o ′ ********************************************************* 07 Jan 19 05.0 -22 31 10.7 3.857 2.874 001 Sgr 21 Jan 19 29.7 -21 37 11.0 3.852 2.886 009 Sgr 04 Feb 19 53.7 -20 30 11.1 3.820 2.898 018 Sgr 18 Feb 20 16.8 -19 11 11.2 3.762 2.912 026 Cap 03 Mar 20 38.7 -17 44 11.3 3.679 2.925 035 Cap 17 Mar 20 59.4 -16 11 11.3 3.572 2.939 044 Cap 31 Mar 21 18.4 -14 35 11.3 3.445 2.953 053 Cap 14 Apr 21 35.8 -12 59 11.3 3.299 2.968 062 Cap 28 Apr 21 51.1 -11 26 11.2 3.138 2.983 072 Cap 12 May 22 04.1 -10 00 11.2 2.967 2.998 082 Aqr 26 May 22 14.3 -08 44 11.0 2.792 3.014 093 Aqr 09 Jun 22 21.4 -07 42 10.9 2.619 3.029 104 Aqr 23 Jun 22 24.9 -07 00 10.7 2.455 3.045 116 Aqr 07 Jul 22 24.4 -06 39 10.5 2.310 3.061 130 Aqr 21 Jul 22 19.9 -06 41 10.3 2.196 3.076 144 Aqr 04 Aug 22 11.8 -07 06 10.0 2.123 3.092 159 Aqr 18 Aug 22 01.5 -07 48 09.7 2.100 3.108 174 Aqr 01 Sep 21 51.0 -08 37 09.9 2.131 3.124 167 Cap 15 Sep 21 42.2 -09 22 10.2 2.216 3.140 152 Cap 29 Sep 21 36.7 -09 55 10.5 2.349 3.156 137 Cap 13 Oct 21 35.2 -10 10 10.8 2.518 3.171 123 Cap 27 Oct 21 37.9 -10 07 11.0 2.713 3.187 110 Cap 10 Nov 21 44.2 -09 45 11.2 2.924 3.202 097 Cap 24 Nov 21 53.6 -09 06 11.4 3.141 3.217 085 Cap 08 Dec 22 05.5 -08 10 11.5 3.354 3.232 074 Aqr 22 Dec 22 19.3 -07 00 11.6 3.559 3.247 064 Aqr **********************************************************
************************ Opposition Conjunction ************************ 05 Aug 2006 26 May 2007 30 Nov 2008 04 May 2008 2009 *************************
The user applying this data for any purpose forgoes any liability against the author. None of the information should be used for either legal or medical purposes. Although the data is accurate as possible some errors might be present. The onus of its use is placed solely with the user.
Last Update : 14th September 2009
Southern Astronomical Delights © (2009)