Eunomia asteroid - Definition

The Eunomia family is a group of several hundred asteroids that share similar orbital and spectral properties. It is believed to be a result of the collision and breakdown of a larger parent body. The group is named after its largest and first-found member, 15 Eunomia.

Eunomia asteroids are S-type asteroids, so they are quite bright in color and their composition is likely a mixture of nickel-iron with silicates similar to 243 Ida or 951 Gaspra. A few C-type or other asteroids lie within the group, but they are most likely interlopers and not related to other Eunomia asteroids.

The Eunomia family is located between 3:1 and 8:3 resonances with Jupiter.

Orbital elements for the Eunomia family:

• orbital distance: 2.5 < a < 2.75 AU
• eccentricity: 0.1 < e < 0.2
• inclination: 13° < i < 20°