Katana VentraIP

951 Gaspra

951 Gaspra is an S-type asteroid that orbits very close to the inner edge of the asteroid belt. Gaspra was discovered by Russian astronomer G. N. Neujmin in 1916. Neujmin named it after Gaspra, a Black Sea retreat that was visited by his contemporaries, such as Gorky and Tolstoy.

Discovery[1][2]

G. Neujmin

Simeiz Obs.

30 July 1916

(951) Gaspra

/ˈɡæsprə/

Gaspra[3]
(Crimean spa town)

1916 S45 · 1916 Σ45
SIGMA 45 · A913 YA
1955 MG1

main-belt · (inner)
Flora[4]

103.54 yr (37,819 days)

2.5931 AU

1.8267 AU

2.2099 AU

0.1734

3.29 yr (1,200 days)

232.83°

0° 18m 0s / day

4.1063°

253.06°

129.94°

18.2 km × 10.5 km × 8.9 km[5]
12.2 km (mean diameter)[1]

2–3 × 1015 kg (estimate)

~2.7 g/cm3 (estimate)[6]

7.042 h (0.293 d)[1]

72°[5]

0.246±0.032[1]

Tholen = S[1]
SMASS = S[1]
B–V = 0.870[1]
U–B = 0.554[1]

11.46[1]

Gaspra was the first asteroid ever to be closely approached when it was visited by the Galileo spacecraft, which flew by on its way to Jupiter on 29 October 1991.[7]

: 2 photos

short intro

JPL images

Gaspra in approximately true color

951 Gaspra

Ephemeris

at the JPL Small-Body Database

951 Gaspra