738 Alagasta
| Discovery | |
|---|---|
| Discovered by | Franz Kaiser |
| Discovery site | Heidelberg |
| Discovery date | 7 January 1913 |
| Designations | |
| (738) Alagasta | |
| Pronunciation | /æləˈɡæstə/ |
Named after | Gau-Algesheim |
| 1913 QO | |
| Orbital characteristics | |
| Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5) | |
| Uncertainty parameter 0 | |
| Observation arc | 103.3 yr (37,720 d) |
| Aphelion | 3.2040 AU (479.31 Gm) |
| Perihelion | 2.8698 AU (429.32 Gm) |
| 3.0369 AU (454.31 Gm) | |
| Eccentricity | 0.055023 |
| 5.29 yr (1,933.1 d) | |
| 146.545° | |
| 0° 11m 10.428s / day | |
| Inclination | 3.5344° |
| 132.115° | |
| 41.826° | |
| Earth MOID | 1.87517 AU (280.521 Gm) |
| Jupiter MOID | 1.76226 AU (263.630 Gm) |
| TJupiter | 3.236 |
| Physical characteristics | |
| 31.395±0.6 km | |
| 18.86 h (0.786 d) | |
| 0.0398±0.002 | |
| 10.13 | |
738 Alagasta (/æləˈɡæstə/) is a main belt asteroid. It was discovered from Heidelberg on 7 January 1913 by German astronomer Franz Kaiser. The asteroid was named in honor of Gau-Algesheim, previously Alaghastesheim, which is the home city of the discoverer's family. This body is orbiting at a distance of 3.04 AU with a period of 5.29 years and an eccentricity of 0.055. The orbital plane is inclined at an angle of 3.53° to the plane of the ecliptic.
Photometric measurements made of the asteroid during 2015 produced a light curve that showed a rotation period of 18.86±0.01 h with a brightness variation of 0.11 in magnitude. The asteroid is roughly 63 km in diameter and has a low albedo.