Object Analysis

Juno (3 Juno) was the third asteroid ever discovered, found by Karl Ludwig Harding in 1804. It is one of the largest asteroids in the main belt, containing about 1% of the total mass of the entire belt. It has an irregular shape and is roughly 233 kilometers in diameter.

Juno is an S-type asteroid, meaning it is composed primarily of stony materials (silicates) and iron-nickel. It has a relatively high albedo, reflecting about 24% of the light that hits it. Unlike Ceres or Vesta, Juno is too small to have a differentiated interior (a core and mantle).

The surface of Juno is heavily cratered and features a massive impact site that is 100 kilometers wide. Because of its eccentric orbit, Juno's distance from the Sun varies significantly, which causes its surface temperature to fluctuate wildly. It is a rugged, ancient fragment from the earliest days of planet formation.