Sections

Catalogues

Tools and Links

Pallas

2 Pallas

Minor Planet Designation	2 Pallas
Asteroid Group	Main Asteroid Belt (Pallas family)
Orbital Period	11.8 years
Distance from the Sun	Semi-Major Axis: 414,626,371 km (2.77 AU) Perihelion: 318,734,225 km (2.13 AU) Aphelion: 510,518,516 km (3.41 AU)
Eccentricity	0.2313
Diameter (Mean)	512 kilometres
Notes	Pallas was the second asteroid to be discovered, and isthe third largest and most massive after Ceres and Vesta. In shape it is a flattened ellipsoid: its diameter along its longest axis is some 550 km, while along its shortest axis it measures a distance some 74 km shorter.

The relatively high eccentricity of Pallas' orbit sees its distance from the Sun vary by more than an Astronomical Unit, carrying it between the inner and outer zones of the main Asteroid Belt.

Asteroid Pallas has a rather irregular form, but is nearly spherical in shape.

Pallas is the second largest of the Solar System's asteroids, but is considerably smaller than the largest, Ceres, to which it is in many ways similar. It pursues a curious orbit, inclined at some 35° to the main Asteroid Belt.

Indexes

Related Entries

v2.1g