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 — Asteroide en Virgo

20 Massalia

Asteroid Virgo Visible

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

Mapa Estelar Sistema Solar 3D + Lista + Plan

Propiedades

Magnitud 9.2

Descripción

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).

Posición e Identificadores

RA 11h 37m 33.2s

Dec +02° 08' 08.8"

Constelación Virgo

Catálogo Massalia

Wikipedia

Propiedades Físicas

Diámetro 136 km

Masa 3.3e18 kg

Albedo 0.24 (24% reflected)

Rotación 8.1 hours

Tamaño angular 0.1″ (current)

Propiedades orbitales

Semieje mayor 2.4084 AU (360.3 million km)

Excentricidad 0.1438

Inclinación 0.71°

Período orbital 3.74 years

Distancia 1.536 AU (12.8 light-min)

Elongación 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.