65 Cybele

**65 Cybele**
Orbital characteristics ¹
Orbit type	Main belt (Cybele )
Semimajor axis	3.436 AU
Perihelion distance	3.077 AU
Aphelion distance	3.794 AU
Orbital period	6.37 years
Inclination	3.55°
Eccentricity	0.104
Physical characteristics ¹
Diameter	237.3 km
Rotation period ³	4.041 hours
Spectral class	C
Abs. magnitude	6.62
Albedo ⁴	0.071
History ²
Discoverer	E. W. Tempel, 1861

65 Cybele (sib'-a-lee) is one of the largest asteroids in the main belt. The Cybele asteroids are named after it. As a C-type asteroid it is dark in color and carbonaceous in composition.

It was discovered on March 8 1861 by Ernst Tempel and named after Cybele the earth goddess.

First stellar occultation by Cybele was observed on October 17, 1979 in the Soviet Union. A diameter of 230 km was derived, closely matching the diameter of 237 km determined by the IRAS satellite.

During the same occultation, a hint of a possible 11 km wide satellite was detected. [1]

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Categories: Cybele asteroids