4769 Castalia
| Orbital characteristics | |
|---|---|
| Orbit type | Near-Earth |
| Semimajor axis | 1.063 AU |
| Eccentricity | 0.4831 |
| Orbital period | 1.10 years |
| Inclination | 8.89° |
| Physical characteristics | |
| Diameter | 1.8×0.8 km |
| Mass | 5.0×1011 kg |
| Density | 2.1 /cm3 |
| Rotation period | 4h |
| Spectral class | S |
| Albedo | ? |
| History | |
| Discoverer | Eleanor F. Helin, 1989 |
Castalia was found to have a peanut shape, suggesting two 800m diameter pieces held together by their weak mutual gravity. Since then radar measurements of other asteroids has indicated that this contact binary arrangement appears to be common.
