Discoverer

F. Helin - 1989.

Diameter (km)

1.8 x 0.8

Mass (kg)

5*10^{^11}

Rotation period (hrs)

4.07

Orbital period (yrs)

1.10

Semimajor axis (AU)

1.06315

Orbital eccentricity

0.48325

Orbital Inclination (deg)

8.88811

Albedo

?

Type

?

Asteroid 4769 Castalia is a near-Earth asteroid that was discovered by Eleanor F. Helin on August 9, 1989. Named for Castalia, a nymph pursued by Apollo (asteroid 1862) . Fleeing his attention, she dived into the earth, whence a spring burst forth and was given her name. The mythical spring, on Mount Parnassus at Delphi, was the site of the most important oracle to ancient Greece. Castalia was sacred to the muses and was considered a divine source of poetic inspiration. The name also refers to a genus of aquatic plants of the water-lily family, distinguished by rounded, floating leaves and large, fragrant flowers of various colors. Name suggested by S. Ostro, who captured the stunning radar images of 1989 PB, soon after its discovery.

Scientists used radar and computer modeling to generate images of Castalia. They obtained the data for the computer model in 1989 using the Arecibo radio telescope when the asteroid passed within 5.6 million kilometers of the Earth. Castalia has a peanut shape and is about 1.8 kilometers across at its widest. Its two distinct lobes are about 750 meters across. It is possible that two lobes were separate objects that came together after a relatively gentle collision. The surfaces of both lobes have similar composition and roughness.

Images of Castalia