120 Lachesis
Encyclopedia
120 Lachesis is a very large and very dark main-belt asteroid
. As a primitive C-type asteroid
it is probably composed of carbonaceous
material. It was discovered by Alphonse Borrelly on April 10, 1872, and named after Lachesis
, one of the Moirae
, or Fates, in Greek mythology
. The only observed Lachesean occultation
occurred in 1999 and was recorded in the south-western United States
.
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
. As a primitive C-type asteroid
C-type asteroid
C-type asteroids are carbonaceous asteroids. They are the most common variety, forming around 75% of known asteroids, and an even higher percentage in the outer part of the asteroid belt beyond 2.7 AU, which is dominated by this asteroid type...
it is probably composed of carbonaceous
Carbonaceous
Carbonaceous is the defining attribute of a substance rich in carbon. Particularly, carbonaceous hydrocarbons are very unsaturated, high-molecular-weight hydrocarbons, having an elevated carbon:hydrogen ratio....
material. It was discovered by Alphonse Borrelly on April 10, 1872, and named after Lachesis
Lachesis (mythology)
In Greek mythology, Lachesis was the second of the Three Fates, or Moirae, also known as the Triple Moon Goddesses or the Lunar Dieties. Each phase of the moon representing each of the fates - Clotho, Lachesis and Atropos...
, one of the Moirae
Moirae
The Moirae, Moerae or Moirai , in Greek mythology, were the white-robed incarnations of destiny . Their number became fixed at three...
, or Fates, in Greek mythology
Greek mythology
Greek mythology is the body of myths and legends belonging to the ancient Greeks, concerning their gods and heroes, the nature of the world, and the origins and significance of their own cult and ritual practices. They were a part of religion in ancient Greece...
. The only observed Lachesean occultation
Occultation
An occultation is an event that occurs when one object is hidden by another object that passes between it and the observer. The word is used in astronomy . It can also refer to any situation wherein an object in the foreground blocks from view an object in the background...
occurred in 1999 and was recorded in the south-western United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.