What telescope do I need to see Herculina?

At magnitude 8.5, Herculina is within reach of a 3-inch (80 mm) telescope from a moderate-Bortle site.

Herculina — Asteroid in Pisces

532 Herculina

Asteroid Pisces Sichtbar

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

Sternkarte 3D-Sonnensystem + Liste + Plan

Eigenschaften

Helligkeit 8.5

Beschreibung

Type: Asteroid

Distance: 2.770 AU

Orbital Period: 1683.9 days

Diameter: 222 km

Feminine of Hercules; S-type; brightest non-cataloged main-belt asteroid by peak opposition magnitude (~8.5). Fast rotator (9.4 h).

Position & Bezeichnungen

RA 00h 44m 33.6s

Dec -08° 36' 44.1"

Sternbild Pisces

Katalog Herculina

Wikipedia

Physikalische Eigenschaften

Durchmesser 222 km

Masse 1.0e19 kg

Albedo 0.20 (20% reflected)

Rotation 9.4 hours

Winkeldurchmesser 0.1″ (current)

Bahneigenschaften

Große Halbachse 2.7700 AU (414.4 million km)

Exzentrizität 0.1802

Bahnneigung 16.30°

Umlaufzeit 4.61 years

Entfernung 4.038 AU (33.6 light-min)

Elongation 35.0° Moderate

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.