What telescope do I need to see Amphitrite?

At magnitude 9.0, Amphitrite is within reach of a 3-inch (80 mm) telescope from a moderate-Bortle site.

Amphitrite — Asteroide in Ophiuchus

29 Amphitrite

Asteroid Ophiuchus Visibile

Rendered preview of Amphitrite from the Nightbase orrery, lit from the current Sun direction with the terminator visible.

Mappa stellare Sistema Solare 3D + Lista + Piano

Proprietà

Magnitudine 9.0

Descrizione

Type: Asteroid

Distance: 2.554 AU

Orbital Period: 1490.9 days

Diameter: 190 km

Greek goddess of the sea, wife of Poseidon; S-type; one of the brightest minor planets at opposition (typical mag 9.0).

Posizione e identificatori

RA 16h 42m 01.4s

Dec -30° 29' 06.2"

Costellazione Ophiuchus

Catalogo Amphitrite

Wikipedia

Proprietà fisiche

Diametro 190 km

Massa 8.9e18 kg

Albedo 0.22 (22% reflected)

Rotazione 5.4 hours

Dimensione angolare 0.1″ (current)

Proprietà orbitali

Semiasse maggiore 2.5541 AU (382.1 million km)

Eccentricità 0.0734

Inclinazione 6.08°

Periodo orbitale 4.08 years

Distanza 1.848 AU (15.4 light-min)

Elongazione 146.0° Good

Brightness Forecast (next 12 months)

Apparent magnitude as Earth–asteroid distance changes through the year. The peak marks the brightest moment in the window — usually around opposition, when the asteroid is closest and fully illuminated.

Computed from JPL orbital elements via m = H + 5·log₁₀(r·Δ). Phase-function correction is omitted, so curves trace distance variation only — accurate within a few tenths for main-belt asteroids; coarse for fast-moving NEOs near Earth.