94 Aurora

{{Short description|Main-belt asteroid}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2019}}

{{Infobox planet

| minorplanet = yes

| background = #D6D6D6

| name = 94 Aurora

| image = 94Aurora (Lightcurve Inversion).png

| image_scale =

| caption = A three-dimensional model of 94 Aurora based on its light curve.

| discoverer = James Craig Watson

| discovered = 6 September 1867

| mpc_name = (94) Aurora

| alt_names =

| pronounced = {{IPAc-en|ə|ˈ|r|ɔər|ə|,_|ɒ|-}}{{OED|aurora}}

| adjective = Aurorean {{IPAc-en|ɔː|ˈ|r|ɔər|i|ə|n}}{{OED|aurorean}}
But see 'aurora' for the first vowel.

| named_after = Aurōra

| mp_category = Main belt

| orbit_ref = {{cite web

|type=2008-11-09 last obs

|title=JPL Small-Body Database Browser: 94 Aurora

|url=https://ssd.jpl.nasa.gov/sbdb.cgi?sstr=94

|access-date=13 May 2016}}

| epoch = 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)

| semimajor = {{Convert|3.16003|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| perihelion = {{Convert|2.86831|AU|Gm|abbr=on}}

| aphelion = {{Convert|3.45175|AU|Gm|abbr=on|lk=on}}

| eccentricity = 0.092315

| period = 5.62 yr (2051.8 d)

| inclination = 7.97343°

| asc_node = 2.59859°

| arg_peri = 60.8260°

| mean_anomaly = 132.718°

| avg_speed = 16.73 km/s

| mean_diameter = {{val|204.89|3.6|ul=km}} {{small|(IRAS)}}

| dimensions = 225 × 173 km

| mass = {{nowrap|(6.606 ± 2.584/2.173){{e|18}} kg}}

| density = 1.676 ± 0.655/0.551 g/cm³{{efn|Assuming a diameter of 196 ± 4 km.}}

| surface_grav = {{Gr|0.006606|102.445|4}} m/s²

| escape_velocity = {{V2|0.006606|102.445|4}} km/s

| rotation = {{Convert|7.22|h|d|abbr=on|lk=on}}

| spectral_type = C

| abs_magnitude = 7.74

| albedo = {{val|0.0395|0.001}}
0.0395[http://www.psi.edu/pds/resource/albedo.html Asteroid Data Sets] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091217104722/http://www.psi.edu/pds/resource/albedo.html |date=2009-12-17 }}

| single_temperature = ~157 K

| mean_motion = {{Deg2DMS|0.175455|sup=ms}} / day

| observation_arc = 143.72 yr (52494 d)

| uncertainty = 0

}}

94 Aurora is one of the largest main-belt asteroids. With an albedo of only 0.04, it is darker than soot, and has a primitive composition consisting of carbonaceous material. It was discovered by J. C. Watson on September 6, 1867, in Ann Arbor, and named after Aurora, the Roman goddess of the dawn.

This asteroid is orbiting the Sun with a period of 5.62 years and a relatively low eccentricity of 0.092. It is spinning with a rotation period of 7.22 hours. Observations of an occultation using nine chords indicate an oval outline of 225×173 km. The asteroid's pole of rotation lies just 4–16° away from the plane of the ecliptic.