41 Daphne is a large 174 km main-belt asteroid. This dark-surfaced body is probably composed of primitive carbonaceous chondrites. It was discovered by H. Goldschmidt on May 22, 1856, and named after Daphne, the nymph in Greek mythology who was turned into a laurel tree.
In 1999, Daphne occulted three stars, and on July 2, 1999 produced eleven chords indicating an ellipsoid of 213×160 km. Daphnean lightcurves also suggest that the asteroid is irregular in shape. Daphne was observed by Arecibo radar in April 2008.
Read more about 41 Daphne: Satellite
Famous quotes containing the word daphne:
“There’s Margaret and Marjorie and Dorothy and Nan,
A Daphne and a Mary who live in privacy;
One’s had her fill of lovers, another’s had but one,
Another boasts, “I pick and choose and have but two or three.”
If head and limb have beauty and the instep’s high and light
They can spread out what sail they please for all I have to say....”
—William Butler Yeats (1865–1939)