944 Hidalgo

944 Hidalgo /hɪˈdælɡ/ is a centaur and unusual object on an eccentric, cometary-like orbit between the asteroid belt and the outer Solar System, approximately 52 kilometers (32 miles) in diameter. Discovered by German astronomer Walter Baade in 1920, it is the first member of the dynamical class of centaurs ever to be discovered. The dark D-type object has a rotation period of 10.1 hours and likely an elongated shape. It was named after Mexican revolutionary Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.

944 Hidalgo
Animation of 944 Hidalgo's movement over 5 minutes in 2003, taken by the Very Large Telescope.
Discovery
Discovered byW. Baade
Discovery siteBergedorf Obs.
Discovery date31 October 1920
Designations
(944) Hidalgo
Pronunciation/hɪˈdælɡ/
Named after
Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla
(Mexican revolutionary)
1920 HZ · A920 UB
centaur  · main-belt
unusual
Symbol (astrological)
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 27 April 2019 (JD 2458600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc97.97 yr (35,784 d)
Aphelion9.5345 AU
Perihelion1.9474 AU
5.7410 AU
Eccentricity0.6608
13.76 yr (5,024 d)
13.078°
0° 4m 18.12s / day
Inclination42.521°
21.420°
56.651°
Jupiter MOID0.3285 AU
TJupiter2.0690
Physical characteristics
Mean diameter
52.45±3.60 km
61.4±12.7 km
10.063±0.0003 h
0.028
0.042
Tholen = D
10.77
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