Euterpe at Opposition in 2009

Euterpe will be in Leo when it brightens to magnitude 9.5 early in January 2009. It is at opposition on February 4 with a magnitude 8.9, by which time it will have crossed into Cancer. After opposition it fades again back to 9.5 towards the end of February.

The distance of Euterpe from the Sun varies between 1.94 and 2.75 AU, so that at the most favourable oppositions the asteroid is a little under 1 AU from the Earth. At the 2009 opposition the distance of Euterpe from the Sun is 2.02 AU and from the Earth 1.04 AU. So, from the point of view of brightness of the asteroid, this is a favourable opposition.

At its opposition on 25 December 2015 Euterpe will be at its brightest with a magnitude 8.4. That opposition will occur only 4 days after Euterpe is at perihelion, its closest to the Sun and 0.96 AU from the Earth.

At less favourable oppositions, Euterpe is considerably fainter than in 2009. At the opposition in June 2010 it will be only magnitude 10.4 at its brightest.

Euterpe's dimensions are 124 x 75 km. Its orbital period is 3.60 years, the orbit being inclined at 1.58° to the ecliptic. Thus it stays close to the ecliptic throughout its passage round the Sun.

Euterpe was discovered in 1853 on November 8 by J R Hinds in London.