6 Hebe

6 Hebe (hee'-bee) is a very large Main belt asteroid. It has a bright surface and composition of nickel-iron metals and silicate rocks.

Hebe was the sixth asteroid discovered, on July 1, 1847. It was the second and final asteroid discovery by Karl Ludwig Hencke, who had previously found 5 Astraea. The name "Hebe" was proposed by Carl Friedrich Gauss, and refers to the Greek goddess of youth, cupbearer for the gods of Mount Olympus until she was married to Heracles, at which point she was succeeded by the Trojan prince Ganymede.

On March 5, 1977 Hebe occulted Kaffaljidhma (γ Ceti), a moderately bright 3rd magnitude star. No other observed occultations by Hebe have been reported.

As a result of that occultation, a small satellite was reported by Paul D. Maley (4). It was nicknamed "Jebe" (see Heebie Jeebies). However, the discovery has not been confirmed.

External links

• MNRAS 7 (1847) 283
• MNRAS 8 (1848) 103