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 — Asteroide in Pisces

532 Herculina

Asteroid Pisces Visibile

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

Mappa stellare Sistema Solare 3D + Lista + Piano

Proprietà

Magnitudine 8.5

Descrizione

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).

Posizione e identificatori

RA 00h 44m 33.6s

Dec -08° 36' 44.1"

Costellazione Pisces

Catalogo Herculina

Wikipedia

Proprietà fisiche

Diametro 222 km

Massa 1.0e19 kg

Albedo 0.20 (20% reflected)

Rotazione 9.4 hours

Dimensione angolare 0.1″ (current)

Proprietà orbitali

Semiasse maggiore 2.7700 AU (414.4 million km)

Eccentricità 0.1802

Inclinazione 16.30°

Periodo orbitale 4.61 years

Distanza 4.038 AU (33.6 light-min)

Elongazione 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.