What telescope do I need to see Massalia?

At magnitude 9.2, Massalia is within reach of a 3-inch (80 mm) telescope from a moderate-Bortle site.

Massalia — Asteroid in Virgo

20 Massalia

Asteroid Virgo Visible

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

Star Map 3D Solar System + List + Plan

Properties

Magnitude 9.2

Description

Type: Asteroid

Distance: 2.408 AU

Orbital Period: 1365.2 days

Diameter: 136 km

Named after the city of Marseille (Massalia in antiquity); S-type; one of the brightest minor planets at opposition (typical mag 9.2).

Position & Identifiers

RA 11h 37m 33.2s

Dec +02° 08' 08.8"

Constellation Virgo

Catalog Massalia

Wikipedia

Physical Properties

Diameter 136 km

Mass 3.3e18 kg

Albedo 0.24 (24% reflected)

Rotation 8.1 hours

Angular Size 0.1″ (current)

Orbital Properties

Semi-major Axis 2.4084 AU (360.3 million km)

Eccentricity 0.1438

Inclination 0.71°

Orbital Period 3.74 years

Distance 1.536 AU (12.8 light-min)

Elongation 134.0° 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.