Pallas discovery

Pallas or catalogued with number 2 are a medium asteroid located between the orbit of Mars & Jupiter. Its eccentricity is very high nothing less than 0,2298 typical one of asteroids, therefore, in the perihelion or point next to the Sun it is to 2,14 UA, & in the aphelion to 3,41 U.A., therefore its greater semiaxis is of 2,7733 U.A. The orbital period of Shovels is of 4,62 years & its inclination with respect to the plane of the ecliptic is the nothing less of 34.84º, high, which causes that it is possible to be located, as in the case of the identification that I have done in a bordering constellation to those of the ecliptic, that in this case, it finds it in the constellation of Hercules.

During the night of its location & discovery I found it in this constellation very next to the 56 star Herculis of magnitude 6.07. Shovels presented/displayed at those moments a magnitude of 9.2. W. was discovered by astronomer H. Olbers the March 28^th, 1802 & has a diameter of 523 km ± 20 km. Its period of rotation is of 7,81 hours, its Albedo is of 0.14.

Pallas has an absolute magnitude of 4,13, a coefficient of magnitude of 0,11 & the index of color B-V is of 0,66, which him practically makes easy shining & to locate.

During the opposition of year 2001, Pallas were in the constellation of Hercules & peculiarly 57 Herculis the May 19^th, to only 50" of arc to the south, during those days it conditions it climatologic were not very good, & was at night of the May 21^st, 2001 that I could locate to Pallas surrounds already of the 56 Herculis that was on the following day in conjunction with this star to less than 4 ' of arc. Therefore, it was a situation that I took advantage of to locate without no problem during the first night with a magnitude of 9.2. The first observation I made to 20h.55m. (UT) May 21^st.

Thanks to the program of Guide version 7,0 & with the graph that you can see down, could be located without difficulty to the asteroid Pallas in the first observation. This one was made to 20h.55m. (U.T.) of May 21^st, 2001 that it was to 30 ' to the northwest of the star 57 Herculis, later, the following day the displacement of the asteroid could be observed that was then to less than 5 ' of arc of 56 Herculis. Therefore, the date of discovery of Pallas was May 21^st, 2001con during those nights of only 9.2 magnitude.

On the other h&, down, by means of a program in Java which I have found in the network, with the courtesy of Osamu Ajiki de AstroArts & Ron Baalke of the JPL, you can see the orbit of Pallas as well as its distance in relation to the Sun & the Earth & its position with respect to the Solar System for any date.

In Greek mythology Pallas or Pallaz , are a epíteto of the Athenian goddess . A delayed tradition account that Shovels was a girl daughter of Triton & companion of games of the goddess in its youth. When a day both fought playing with a lance, Athenian accidentally killed the girl. In order to honor it, the goddess put in front to his the name of Pallas & constructed in its honor famous Palladium.