Location and Size
A HCM numerical analysis (Zappala 1995) determined a large group of 'core' family members, whose proper orbital elements lie in the approximate ranges
| ap | ep | ip | |
|---|---|---|---|
| min | 2.17 AU | 0.109 | 2.4° |
| max | 2.33 AU | 0.168 | 6.9° |
The boundaries of the family are, however, very indistinct. At the present epoch, the range of osculating orbital elements of these core members is
| a | e | i | |
|---|---|---|---|
| min | 2.17 AU | 0.053 | 1.6° |
| max | 2.33 AU | 0.224 | 7.7° |
Zappala's 1995 analysis found 604 core members, and 1027 in a wider group. A search of a recent proper element database (AstDys)for 96944 minor planets in 2005 yielded 7438 objects lying within the rectangular-shaped region defined by the first table above. However, this also includes parts of the Vesta and Nysa families in the corners so that a more likely membership estimate is 4000-5000 objects (by eye). This means that the Flora family represents 4-5% of all main belt asteroids.
Read more about this topic: Flora Family
Famous quotes containing the word size:
“There are some persons we could not cut down to size without diminishing ourselves as well.”
—Jean Rostand (1894–1977)