Davida

511 Davida is a large carbonaceous asteroid located in the outer region of the main asteroid belt. It is one of the ten most massive objects in the belt, currently estimated to be the 5th or 6th most massive.

Size and Shape

• Dimensions: It is an irregular, triaxial ellipsoid (meaning it has three different axes of length). High-resolution imaging indicates dimensions of approximately 357 km x 294 km x 231 km.

• Mean Diameter: Its average diameter is approximately 290 to 310 kilometers (180 to 192 miles).

• Surface Features: Images from the Keck Observatory show that the surface is not smooth. It has at least two flat areas (facets) and two large protrusions. One of these facets is estimated to be a crater approximately 150 km wide.

Composition and Classification

• Spectral Type: It is a C-type asteroid, which is the most common variety.

• Material: The surface is dark and composed of carbon-rich (carbonaceous) chondrite material.

• Albedo: It has a low reflectivity of 0.076, meaning it reflects less than 8% of the sunlight that strikes it.

• Contents: Scientific analysis suggests the presence of iron, nickel, cobalt, and hydrated minerals (minerals containing water).

Orbital and Rotational Facts

• Rotation: It rotates on its axis very quickly, completing one full rotation every 5.13 hours.

• Orbit: It orbits the Sun at a distance ranging from 2.56 AU (perihelion) to 3.76 AU (aphelion).

• Orbital Period: It takes 5.63 Earth years to complete one trip around the Sun.

• Inclination: Its orbit is tilted at an angle of 15.9 degrees relative to the plane of the Earth's orbit.

Discovery and Significance

• Discovery: It was discovered on May 30, 1903, by the American astronomer Raymond Smith Dugan.

• Mass Contribution: Davida accounts for an estimated 1.5% of the total mass of the entire asteroid belt.

• Classification: Despite its large size, it is not a dwarf planet because its irregular shape indicates it does not have enough gravity to achieve "hydrostatic equilibrium" (a spherical shape).

Mass Rank

5th or 6th in the belt

Spectral Class

C (Carbonaceous)

Rotation Period

5.13 hours

Orbital Speed

16.6 km/s (Average)

Brightness (Mag)

9.5 to 13.0 (Requires telescope)