Aster › Space program › 10 Hygiea
10 Hygiea
Position on the route: 25/130 · level needed 66 · journey (Mk0 engine) 11.3 h
By the numbers
| Diameter | ≈ 430 km |
|---|---|
| Year | 5.6 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 AU |
| Type | C-type, carbonaceous |
The story
Hygiea was found by Annibale de Gasparis in 1849: the fourth-largest object in the belt, very dark and carbonaceous. ESO’s SPHERE instrument (2019) showed, to everyone’s surprise, that it is almost round: pulled into shape by its own gravity, so it may qualify as a dwarf planet. A ‘Hygiea family’ of asteroids is made of its collision debris.
Its surface may be rich in water ice and organic molecules. In the game it is a good belt stop for water and ammonia.
Missions
- ESO SPHERE images (2019)
- No mission is planned
Colony note
Dark and cold; ice and organic matter. A water station.
What probes bring back
- SPHERE (ESO, 2019) showed it is almost round: the fourth-largest asteroid, it may be reclassified as a ‘dwarf planet’.
- A very dark, carbon-rich surface; like Ceres, it is thought to hold water ice and organics.