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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandThe Brighter Asteroids in 2008: (6) Hebe |
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Royal Astronomical Society of New ZealandThe Brighter Asteroids in 2008: (6) Hebe |
Chart showing path of Hebe in January and February 2008 Positions of Hebe for 2008
Hebe will be in Leo as it brightens at the beginning of January. On January 7 when it reaches magnitude 9.5, Hebe will be about 40' from the 3.5 magnitude star ο Leo and just over 6° from Regulus. Hebe crosses into Cancer on February 4 heading in a northwest direction towards the bright cluster M44, Praesepe or the Beehive.
The asteroid is at opposition on February 7 when it will have a magnitude 8.8. By the end of February it will have faded again to magnitude 9.5. Towards the end of March Hebe will be about 3° from Praesepe, but won't get any closer as its apparent motion through the stars reverses direction towards the east. By then Hebe will be 10th magnitude and require a small telescope to see.
The diameter of Hebe is about 200 km. Its orbital period is 3.78 years, its distance from the Sun varies between 1.93 and 2.92 AU, so that at the most favourable oppositions the asteroid will be about 0.93 AU from the Earth. The orbit is inclined at 14.8° to the ecliptic.
Hebe was discovered in 1847 on July 1 by K L Hencke at Driesen.
The chart is a southern hemisphere view with north at the bottom and east to the right. Stars to magnitude 9.0 are shown, which is about the limiting magnitude of 50 mm aperture binoculars. The circle on the chart represents a field of view 5° in diameter, a fairly typical field of view for binoculars.
| Date 2008 | R.A hr min |
Dec ° ' |
Mag | Const |
| Jan 8 | 9 42.8 | +10 25 | 9.5 | Leo |
| Jan 18 | 9 36.3 | +11 50 | 9.3 | Leo |
| Jan 28 | 9 27.9 | +13 27 | 9.1 | Leo |
| Feb 7 | 9 18.4 | +15 11 | 8.8 | Cnc |
| Feb 17 | 9 09.1 | +16 50 | 9.2 | Cnc |
| Feb 27 | 9 01.0 | +18 18 | 9.5 | Cnc |
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