mathilde | space-encyclopedia

Space Travel

23, May, 2012

Space exploration began with the launch of Sputnik and Astrophysics was born as the application of physics to the phenomena observed by Astronomy, which etymologically means laws of the stars.

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Term	Definition
Mathilde	Asteroid 253, which was imaged by the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous NEAR mission in a close flyby on 27 June 1997. Mathilde is a uniformly dark C-type asteroid with an albedo of only 3 per cent. NEAR found its mean diameter to be 52 km 33 miles. Five craters with diameters in excess of 20 km 12 miles were identified on the side of the asteroid in sunlight at the time of the encounter. Its rotation period was also measured and found to be unexpectedly long at 17.4 days.

Term

Definition

Mathilde

Asteroid 253, which was imaged by the Near-Earth Asteroid Rendezvous NEAR mission in a close flyby on 27 June 1997. Mathilde is a uniformly dark C-type asteroid with an albedo of only 3 per cent. NEAR found its mean diameter to be 52 km 33 miles. Five craters with diameters in excess of 20 km 12 miles were identified on the side of the asteroid in sunlight at the time of the encounter. Its rotation period was also measured and found to be unexpectedly long at 17.4 days.