Nausikaa, discovery and characteristic of the asteroid

Nausikaa or catalogued with the number 192 is a so little asteroid of 107 ± 2 Kms., only. That sometimes is possible to find it with a personal telescope like this one, refractor of 1400mm. focal distance & 90mm. diameter, close its opposition one.

Nausikaa has an eccentricity of 0.2407, by the way, during the perihelion or closed point from de Sun is located at 1.81 AU only; but at aphelion, or point fastest from Sun is at 3.00 AU, only. By the way, its orbits is situated between Mars & Jupiter. This more great eccentricity number is a good point to discover this little asteroid with a small telescope, during this opposition the magnitude was 9.0, only, corresponded to perihelia opposition, or so closed to perihelion of the asteroid.

Like you can see up at its orbit, Nausikaa is located at October, 2000; close to perihelion & at opposition from the Earth. By the way, At March, 2002; it will be at opposition but the distance from the Sun will be 2.93 AU, by the way, its magnitude will be 11.3 from Earth, or two point half more than now.

The orbit of Nausikaa is inclination from ecliptic of 6.82º. During my discovery & location was situated to 40' arc, only, from b arietis; by the way, I saw this conjunction to good form to discovery one. During 2000 year, Nausikaa has been at perihelion zone of its orbit & by the way it was moved more constellation or apparent movement that you can see down one.

The observations to find Nausikaa were made at October 3^rd & 4^th 2000; when it was situated at conjunction from b arietis. The climatologically conditions were not so good, but some a little windows free of clouds I can found it.

First observation was made at 20h.40m. UT October, 3^rd; & second one at 20h.42m. UT; October 4^th of 2000. During the first observation & thanks to astronomical software Guide version 7.0 I can identify it with a rich stars at the field. Second night I can see the apparent movement of Nausikaa at the dark field close to b arietis.

By the way, the discovery & identification date of Nausikaa asteroid or 192 is October 3^rd of 2000.

Nausikaa was discovered by J. Palisa February 17^th of 1879 in Pola. It has a diameter of 107km., & 0.17" arc. Its absolute magnitude is 7.13 with a magnitude coefficient of 0.03 & colour index B-V of 0.94.

By the other hand, with a Java program that I found on the net, & thanks to Osamu Ajiki of AstroArts&y Ron Baalke of JPL, you can see the asteroid orbit, distans in relationship to Sun 6 Earth at Solar System for any date.

In classic mythology Nusícaa or Nausikaa, the decisive intervention of this young person in the return to Ítaca de Odiseo is told that Homero in the Odyssey. Daughter of Alcínoo, king of the Feacios, and Earring, one night dreamed, by inspiration of Athenian, who had to go to wash to her clothes and the one from her brothers to the river. To the following morning she requested permission to his father, who granted it, and marched there with his maids. after wash, while wait for to that dry the the clothes, play to the the ball, until once to them save and fall far. The girls gave a shout and then Odiseo awoke, that after to have undergone a shipwreck of return of the island of Calipso and salary been during several days in the water, arrived at an island for not known him and, extenuado, eased up to sleep next to a river. Odiseo, that was naked, is covered with branches and decides to leave to the encounter and the girls. These, scared by the terrible aspect of the hero, flee, but Nausícaa, nevertheless, remains. With sweet Odiseo words it requests aid to him to Nausícaa, which grants it, indicating the way to him of the city while it returns in car. Already in the palace of Alcínoo, it tells to Odiseo his adventures and the Feacios provides a boat to him to return to Ítaca. Nausícaa fell in love with Odiseo, but, although his father was arranged to grant his hand to the hero, this one preferred to divide for his house. The mithographs tell that later he married with Telemaco, with which he had a called son Persepolis or Ptoliporto.