442 Eichsfeldia
Encyclopedia
442 Eichsfeldia is a large Main belt
asteroid
. It is classified as a C-type asteroid
and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material
.
It was discovered by Max Wolf
and A. Schwassmann
on February 15, 1899 in Heidelberg
.
Although Eichsfeldia has an orbit similar to the Vesta family
asteroids, it was found to be an unrelated interloper on the basis of its non-matching spectral type
.
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
. It is classified as a C-type asteroid
C-type asteroid
C-type asteroids are carbonaceous asteroids. They are the most common variety, forming around 75% of known asteroids, and an even higher percentage in the outer part of the asteroid belt beyond 2.7 AU, which is dominated by this asteroid type...
and is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous material
Carbonaceous chondrite
Carbonaceous chondrites or C chondrites are a class of chondritic meteorites comprising at least 7 known groups and many ungrouped meteorites. They include some of the most primitive known meteorites...
.
It was discovered by Max Wolf
Max Wolf
Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf was a German astronomer and a pioneer in the field of astrophotography...
and A. Schwassmann
Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann
Friedrich Karl Arnold Schwassmann was a German astronomer.He was co-discoverer with Arno Arthur Wachmann of the periodic comets 29P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, 31P/Schwassmann-Wachmann and 73P/Schwassmann-Wachmann, and with Arno Arthur Wachmann and Leslie Peltier of the non-periodic comet C/1930 D1 ....
on February 15, 1899 in Heidelberg
Heidelberg
-Early history:Between 600,000 and 200,000 years ago, "Heidelberg Man" died at nearby Mauer. His jaw bone was discovered in 1907; with scientific dating, his remains were determined to be the earliest evidence of human life in Europe. In the 5th century BC, a Celtic fortress of refuge and place of...
.
Although Eichsfeldia has an orbit similar to the Vesta family
Vesta family
The Vesta or Vestian family of asteroids is a large and prominent grouping of mostly V-type asteroids in the inner asteroid belt in the vicinity of 4 Vesta...
asteroids, it was found to be an unrelated interloper on the basis of its non-matching spectral type
Asteroid spectral types
Asteroids are assigned a type based on spectral shape, color, and sometimes albedo. These types are thought to correspond to an asteroid's surface composition...
.