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 |
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0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con
DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o
hh mm.m o ′
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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
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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.
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0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con
DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o
hh mm.m o ′
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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
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0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con
DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o
hh mm.m o ′
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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
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0h UT (J2000) Mag Δ r El. Con
DATE R.A. Decl. V A.U. A.U. o
hh mm.m o ′
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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
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************************ 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)