15 November 1852 – The first asteroid discovered from France
21 Lutetia was the first asteroid discovered from France. It was detected on the 15 November 1852 by Hermann Goldschmidt (17/06/1802-26/04/1866). Goldschmidt was born in Frankfurt but moved to Paris to study art, and subsequently spent his life in France. An amateur astronomer, he first became interested in Astronomy after attending a lecture given by the famous Urbain le Verrier.
During his life Goldschmidt found 14 asteroids and his researches and discoveries were rewarded with the award of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Gold Medal.
21 Lutèce est le premier astéroïde à être découvert de la France le 15 novembre 1852 par Hermann Goldschmidt (17/06/1802-26/04/1866), un astronome et peintre franco-allemand né à Francfort,qui a passé une grande partie de sa vie en France. Peintre d’abord c’est après avoir écouté une conférence donnée par Urbain le Verrier qu’il s’est intéressé à l’astronomie.
Pendant sa vie il a trouvé 14 astéroïdes et ses recherches lui a valu une médaille de la Royal Astronomical Society.
Lutetia is one of the very few asteroids which has been observed close-up by space probes. On the 10th July, 2010, The ESA (European Space Agency) Rosetta probe passed near to Lutetia and the following video imagery compiled. http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/50399-rosetta-s-view-of-lutetia/
This encounter was the first type M (metallic rich) asteroid to be visited by a space probe.
La sonde Rosetta de l’agence spatiale européenne (ESA) a survolé l astéroïde 21 le 10 juillet 2010 à 17.45. Le survol a été important pour la compréhension des astéroïdes car Lutèce n’est pas seulement gros mais aussi le premier astéroïde de type M (metallique) à être visité par une sonde spatiale.
21 Lutetia was the first asteroid discovered from France. It was detected on the 15 November 1852 by Hermann Goldschmidt (17/06/1802-26/04/1866). Goldschmidt was born in Frankfurt but moved to Paris to study art, and subsequently spent his life in France. An amateur astronomer, he first became interested in Astronomy after attending a lecture given by the famous Urbain le Verrier.
During his life Goldschmidt found 14 asteroids and his researches and discoveries were rewarded with the award of the Royal Astronomical Society’s Gold Medal.
21 Lutèce est le premier astéroïde à être découvert de la France le 15 novembre 1852 par Hermann Goldschmidt (17/06/1802-26/04/1866), un astronome et peintre franco-allemand né à Francfort,qui a passé une grande partie de sa vie en France. Peintre d’abord c’est après avoir écouté une conférence donnée par Urbain le Verrier qu’il s’est intéressé à l’astronomie.
Pendant sa vie il a trouvé 14 astéroïdes et ses recherches lui a valu une médaille de la Royal Astronomical Society.
Lutetia is one of the very few asteroids which has been observed close-up by space probes. On the 10th July, 2010, The ESA (European Space Agency) Rosetta probe passed near to Lutetia and the following video imagery compiled. http://sci.esa.int/rosetta/50399-rosetta-s-view-of-lutetia/
This encounter was the first type M (metallic rich) asteroid to be visited by a space probe.
La sonde Rosetta de l’agence spatiale européenne (ESA) a survolé l astéroïde 21 le 10 juillet 2010 à 17.45. Le survol a été important pour la compréhension des astéroïdes car Lutèce n’est pas seulement gros mais aussi le premier astéroïde de type M (metallique) à être visité par une sonde spatiale.
Lutetia imaged by Rosetta probe on 10th July 2010
Courtesy of ESA
Courtesy of ESA
Lutetia is in the main asteroid belt situated between Mars and Jupiter. It has a diameter of about 96km and, as many asteroids this size, a slightly elongated and irregular shape. Rotating on its axis every 8 hours 10 mins, it orbits the Sun at a mean distance of 2.43 AU. However, with a moderately high orbital eccentricity of 0.16, it has a perihelion of 2.05 AU and an aphelion of 2.83 AU. It completes an orbit of the Sun once every 3.8 years. The asteroid poses no threat of collision with the Earth and is neither an NEA (Near Earth Asteroid) nor a PHA (Potentially hazardous asteroid).
The asteroid is named after the ancient town of Lutetia. Lutetia was the principal town of the Parisii, a tribe of ancient Gaul, which was built on the site of modern-day Paris.
Lutèce est un astéroïde de la ceinture principale situé entre Mars et Jupiter et a un diamètre d’environ 100km et une forme peu allongée. Sa période de rotation est de 8h 10 minutes et il tourne autour du Soleil à une distance d’environ 2,4 UA. Son orbite se trouve presque sur le plan de l’ecliptique et est modérément excentrique. La période orbitale de Lutèce est de 3,8 ans. Son excentricité est 0,16, sa perihélie 2,046 UA et son aphélie 2,83UA
The asteroid is named after the ancient town of Lutetia. Lutetia was the principal town of the Parisii, a tribe of ancient Gaul, which was built on the site of modern-day Paris.
Lutèce est un astéroïde de la ceinture principale situé entre Mars et Jupiter et a un diamètre d’environ 100km et une forme peu allongée. Sa période de rotation est de 8h 10 minutes et il tourne autour du Soleil à une distance d’environ 2,4 UA. Son orbite se trouve presque sur le plan de l’ecliptique et est modérément excentrique. La période orbitale de Lutèce est de 3,8 ans. Son excentricité est 0,16, sa perihélie 2,046 UA et son aphélie 2,83UA
6th November 1572 – Supernova!
On this date a ‘new-star’ was seen in the constellation of Cassiopeia. Detected by multiple observers across Europe and in China, it was probably first seen by the German astronomer Wolfgang Schüler of Wittenberg (b. ? d.1575). The new star was a supernova, specifically a Type 1a event Although its technical identification in SN1572, it is also named Tycho’s supernova after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. Brahe studied the event extensively and in 1573 published a book: De Nova et nullius aevi momoria prius visa stellar of his observations and analyses. Within this, Brahe reported no discernible observational parallax and thus showed how the Aristolean cosmology (Earth centre universe, unchanging beyond the sphere on the Moon’s orbit) was incorrect.
Ce jour une nouvelle étoile a été observée dans la constellation de Cassiopée. Vue par de nombreux observateurs en Europe et en Chine c’est peut-etre Wolfgang Schüler de Wittenberg (b. ? d.1575) qui est le premier à l’avoir observée. La nouvelle étoile était une supernova de Type 1a. Nomée SN1572 elle est également nomée la supernova de Tycho Brahe, l’astronome danois. Brahe a beaucoup étudié l’événement et en 1573 il a publié un livre sur ses observations et analyses: De Nova et nullius aevi momoria prius visa stellar. Dans ce livre Brahe a montré que la cosmologie aristotélicienne était incorrecte.
Supernova are very rare. The best-known supernova is undoubtedly the event of 1054 which led to the Crab Nebula. Since that time only 3 have been seen within our own galaxy (in 1181, 1572 and 1604) although two others in 1667 and 1868 have subsequently been detected but were not observed at the time. The most recent, nearby, supernova was the 1987 event within the Small Magellanic Cloud (a satellite galaxy to our own).
On this date a ‘new-star’ was seen in the constellation of Cassiopeia. Detected by multiple observers across Europe and in China, it was probably first seen by the German astronomer Wolfgang Schüler of Wittenberg (b. ? d.1575). The new star was a supernova, specifically a Type 1a event Although its technical identification in SN1572, it is also named Tycho’s supernova after the Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe. Brahe studied the event extensively and in 1573 published a book: De Nova et nullius aevi momoria prius visa stellar of his observations and analyses. Within this, Brahe reported no discernible observational parallax and thus showed how the Aristolean cosmology (Earth centre universe, unchanging beyond the sphere on the Moon’s orbit) was incorrect.
Ce jour une nouvelle étoile a été observée dans la constellation de Cassiopée. Vue par de nombreux observateurs en Europe et en Chine c’est peut-etre Wolfgang Schüler de Wittenberg (b. ? d.1575) qui est le premier à l’avoir observée. La nouvelle étoile était une supernova de Type 1a. Nomée SN1572 elle est également nomée la supernova de Tycho Brahe, l’astronome danois. Brahe a beaucoup étudié l’événement et en 1573 il a publié un livre sur ses observations et analyses: De Nova et nullius aevi momoria prius visa stellar. Dans ce livre Brahe a montré que la cosmologie aristotélicienne était incorrecte.
Supernova are very rare. The best-known supernova is undoubtedly the event of 1054 which led to the Crab Nebula. Since that time only 3 have been seen within our own galaxy (in 1181, 1572 and 1604) although two others in 1667 and 1868 have subsequently been detected but were not observed at the time. The most recent, nearby, supernova was the 1987 event within the Small Magellanic Cloud (a satellite galaxy to our own).
Composite X-ray and optical wavelength image of SN1572
In optical wavelengths the remnant is virtually invisible.
Courtesy NASA/CXC/Rutgers/K.Eriksen et al http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/tycho/
In optical wavelengths the remnant is virtually invisible.
Courtesy NASA/CXC/Rutgers/K.Eriksen et al http://chandra.harvard.edu/photo/2011/tycho/
Around 9000 light years away, SN1572 is a classical Type 1a supernova. These occur when an evolved star, a white dwarf, accumulates additional matter from a companion star. A white dwarf does not generate energy by nuclear fusion but it does not gravitationally collapse because of electron degeneracy pressure.
Many stars occur in binary systems (where there are two stars orbit their mutual centre of gravity). The orbit can decay and material can be disrupted from the white dwarf’s companion and accumulate onto the solid surface of the white dwarf. Alternatively, the binary system can merge which gives similar effects. When this happens the electron degeneracy pressure ‘fails’ and an explosive collapse to a neutron star, or black hole, results. (We look at stellar evolution and these end-points in our book on solar physics.)
Many stars occur in binary systems (where there are two stars orbit their mutual centre of gravity). The orbit can decay and material can be disrupted from the white dwarf’s companion and accumulate onto the solid surface of the white dwarf. Alternatively, the binary system can merge which gives similar effects. When this happens the electron degeneracy pressure ‘fails’ and an explosive collapse to a neutron star, or black hole, results. (We look at stellar evolution and these end-points in our book on solar physics.)
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