Talk:21 Lutetia

The image
Interesting Image. Pity there's absolutely no information here or on the image's description page (Image:Ros-21.jpg) about e.g. from how far away it was taken. Did Rosetta have a distant flyby of Lutetia several years before its close flyby in 2010? I doubt it. Is the resolution of the inset real, then? Finally, is the picture really GFDL as claimed? I would be very surprised! Deuar 13:28, 28 March 2007 (UTC)
 * More importantly, it is unresolved (it was taken at a large fraction of an AU). I will revert for the moment, due to the copyright concerns. Michaelbusch 17:31, 28 March 2007 (UTC)

Axial tilt over orbital plane or ecliptic ?
"the axis of rotation is approximately parallel to the ecliptic, similar to the planet Uranus."

Good, but the important is the tilt over the orbital plane of the asteroid. If, for example, the orbite plane is tilted of 45°, if the axis of rotation is perpendicular with the orbital plane, it is tilted of 45° over the ecliptic.

--Jean-François Clet (talk) 09:24, 10 July 2010 (UTC)

M-type or C-type?
This article focus on asteroid as M-type. Most of articles etc that I read about Lutetia stress that it is more probably C-type. Well, this should be resolved in due time after Rosetta flyby data analysis. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 89.79.217.80 (talk) 13:53, 11 July 2010 (UTC)


 * Spectral classification of asteroids is based upon the characteristic emission spectra and these form groups (depending on which system you use) like C,S and M. Lutetia is classified as an M-type based on its observed spectra as the JPL source notes.  However historically astronomers have attempted to connect these characteristic emissions to the surface material of asteroids (based upon evidence from meteorites) to the point where the different types have been associated with different surface compositions.  It is known however that this relation is not always true, and may not even be the general rule.  So what is really being claimed is that Lutetia's surface is probably made out of material that is usually related to C-types (Carbon Chondrite), not that it is a spectroscopic C-type. ChiZeroOne (talk) 15:08, 31 October 2010 (UTC)

1913 Conjunction with Jupiter &— a request
The following Astronomische Nachrichten article appears to describe in some detail a conjunction of 21 Lutetia with Jupiter in 1912: Is there anybody who reads German that would be willing check if it says anything of astronomical interest, or of historical interest to this article? For example, was there a transit? Thank you!—RJH (talk) 22:55, 19 August 2010 (UTC)

Molten Core?
An article in Space.com, Asteroid Lutetia May Have Heart of Hot Melted Metal argues that the core may be melted metal. There is also a better photo there. Someone more knowledgeable than I am should incorporate this into the article.Trojancowboy (talk) 19:33, 27 October 2011 (UTC)
 * Badly worded. No-one thinks it's molten now. But it would be very interesting if something this size melted 4Ga. Possibly it's a bit of the core of a larger object like Vesta, though. — kwami (talk) 19:47, 27 October 2011 (UTC)
 * This error was also posted at MSNBC, and is contradicted elsewhere in the media. The source cited in the MSNBC article is Science, 28 October 2011, which appears to be cited in the main article.71.246.202.239 (talk) 16:32, 30 October 2011 (UTC)
 * It also appears at Space Daily Battered asteroid may have warm core . 65.94.77.11 (talk) 13:49, 5 November 2011 (UTC)

Symbol: OR?
This: isn't in any list of asteroid symbols I've ever seen. I assume it was recently made up. Is there a source for it? Nothing's listed on the image. (And since the Eiffel Tower wouldn't be built for another 37 years, and not become the symbol of Paris for some time after that, it obviously isn't original.) — kwami (talk) 10:36, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * No idea, I started looking through a few of the refs at astronomical symbols but haven't seen it. Note that the guy has also added it to several other wikipedias. --JorisvS (talk) 10:45, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * I commented it out of the WP-langs I recognize. — kwami (talk) 10:50, 9 November 2011 (UTC)
 * He says he made it up, so I've removed it. — kwami (talk) 14:40, 9 November 2011 (UTC)

origin
according to this, Lutetia originated elsewhere in the Solar System and migrated to the asteroid belt. 70.24.248.23 (talk) 12:51, 14 November 2011 (UTC)

paper not yet used in the article
Lutetia's lineaments http://www.rssd.esa.int/Faculty/Staff/besse/REPRINTS/Besse_lutetia_2014.pdf

©Geni (talk) 18:04, 21 December 2014 (UTC)

Maybe we could add a section about this asteroid's appearance in popular culture?
In season 1, episode 8 of Thunderbirds Are Go, Alan and Kayo rescue Ned Tedford, a crewman in danger on this asteroid. Pogeons (talk) 00:23, 26 May 2024 (UTC)