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 em Virgo

20 Massalia

Asteroid Virgo Visível

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

Mapa Estelar Sistema Solar 3D + Lista + Plano

Propriedades

Magnitude 9.2

Descrição

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).

Posição e Identificadores

RA 11h 37m 33.2s

Dec +02° 08' 08.8"

Constelação Virgo

Catálogo Massalia

Wikipedia

Propriedades Físicas

Diâmetro 136 km

Massa 3.3e18 kg

Albedo 0.24 (24% reflected)

Rotação 8.1 hours

Tamanho angular 0.1″ (current)

Propriedades orbitais

Semieixo maior 2.4084 AU (360.3 million km)

Excentricidade 0.1438

Inclinação 0.71°

Período orbital 3.74 years

Distância 1.536 AU (12.8 light-min)

Elongação 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.