78 Diana
Encyclopedia
78 Diana is a large and dark main-belt asteroid
. Its composition is carbonaceous
and primitive. It was discovered by Robert Luther
on March 15, 1863, and named after Diana, Roman
goddess of the hunt. 78 Diana occulted
a star
on September 4, 1980. A diameter of 116 km was measured, closely matching the value given by the IRAS satellite
.
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...
. Its composition is carbonaceous
Carbonate
In chemistry, a carbonate is a salt of carbonic acid, characterized by the presence of the carbonate ion, . The name may also mean an ester of carbonic acid, an organic compound containing the carbonate group C2....
and primitive. It was discovered by Robert Luther
Karl Theodor Robert Luther
Karl Theodor Robert Luther , normally published as Robert Luther, was a German astronomer who searched for asteroids while working in Düsseldorf....
on March 15, 1863, and named after Diana, Roman
Roman mythology
Roman mythology is the body of traditional stories pertaining to ancient Rome's legendary origins and religious system, as represented in the literature and visual arts of the Romans...
goddess of the hunt. 78 Diana occulted
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
a star
Star
A star is a massive, luminous sphere of plasma held together by gravity. At the end of its lifetime, a star can also contain a proportion of degenerate matter. The nearest star to Earth is the Sun, which is the source of most of the energy on Earth...
on September 4, 1980. A diameter of 116 km was measured, closely matching the value given by the IRAS satellite
Satellite
In the context of spaceflight, a satellite is an object which has been placed into orbit by human endeavour. Such objects are sometimes called artificial satellites to distinguish them from natural satellites such as the Moon....
.