444 Gyptis

444 Gyptis is a main-belt asteroid that was discovered by Jérôme Eugène Coggia on March 31, 1899, in Marseille. It is classified as a C-type asteroid and is probably composed of carbonaceous material. The spectra of the asteroid displays evidence of aqueous alteration.^[5]

444 Gyptis

Discovery
Discovered by	Jérôme Eugène Coggia
Discovery date	31 March 1899
Designations
MPC designation	(444) Gyptis
Pronunciation	/ˈdʒɪptɪs/
Named after	Gyptis
Alternative designations	1899 EL
Minor planet category	Main belt
Adjectives	Gyptidian
Orbital characteristics[1]
Epoch 31 July 2016 (JD 2457600.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc	116.54 yr (42568 d)
Aphelion	3.25674 AU (487.201 Gm)
Perihelion	2.28337 AU (341.587 Gm)
Semi-major axis	2.77005 AU (414.394 Gm)
Eccentricity	0.17569
Orbital period (sidereal)	4.61 yr (1684.0 d)
Mean anomaly	11.8852°
Mean motion	0° 12m 49.615s / day
Inclination	10.2775°
Longitude of ascending node	195.716°
Argument of perihelion	154.984°
Physical characteristics
Dimensions	179×150 km[2]
Mean diameter	159.331±0.490 km[1] 164.63±2.60 km[3]
Mass	1.25×1019 kg[4] (1.06±0.28)×1019 kg[3]
Mean density	5.53±1.46 g/cm3[4] 4.55±1.23 g/cm3[3]
Synodic rotation period	6.214 h (0.2589 d)[1]
Geometric albedo	0.051±0.008[1]
Spectral type	C[1]
Absolute magnitude (H)	8.07[1]

In 2004, Kochetova estimated Gyptis to have a mass of 1.25×10¹⁹ kg with a high density of 5.53 g/cm³.^[4] In 2012 Carry estimated the mass as (1.06±0.28)×10¹⁹ kg with a high density of 4.55±1.23 g/cm³.^[3] The adaptive optics instrument at the W. M. Keck Observatory showed an object with a diameter of 129 km, which is much smaller than the estimate of 160 km from the IRAS observatory measurements, indicating an irregular shape. The size ratio between the major and minor axes is estimated at 1.40.^[6] Observations of an occultation on October 14, 2007, produced six chords indicating a cross-section ellipsoid of 179×150 km.^[2]

Between 1990 and 2021, 444 Gyptis has been observed to occult 17 stars.