Basics
Class: SR-type asteroid
Location: Outer main belt, Hecuba gap
Orbit length (approx): 5.36 years
Discovered: 17th August 1873, 06:13 UTC, from Ann Arbor, MI, by James Craig Watson
Notes: Fairly large and very bright asteroid.
Events at time of discovery:
- August 10 – Birth of William Ernest Hocking, American philosopher
- August 12 – A peace treaty is signed between Imperial Russia and the Khanate of Khiva, making the khanate a Russian protectorate.
- August 17 – Birth of John A. Sampson, American gynaecologist
- August 18 – Birth of Otto Harbach, American lyricist
- August 20 – Birth of William Henry Bell, first director of the South African College of Music
- August 26 – Birth of Lee de Forest, American inventor
Naming information
Name origin: Thessalian princess in Greek myth.
Mythology: Kyrene was the daughter of King Hypseus of the Lapiths. She was a famed huntress who guarded her father’s herds on Mount Pelion, killing predators. One day, when she was wrestling a lion, the god Apollo saw her and at once fell in love. He carried her to the Hill of Myrtles (Myrtoessa) in Libya, where she bore him a son named Aristaios. The boy was placed in the care of Chiron and became a demi-god of beekeeping and other rustic pursuits.
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| Mosaic featuring Cyrene from the 2nd century CE, at the Lambaesis archaeological site, Algeria. |
Astrological data
Discovery degree: 15+ Pisces
Discovery Sabian: In the Quiet of His Study a Creative Individual Experiences a Flow of Inspiration
Discovery nodal signature: Aquarius–Leo
Estimated orbital resonances: Earth 3:16, Mars 2:5, Ceres 6:7, Jupiter 11:5, Saturn 11:2, Chiron 19:2
Discovery chart details: Last quarter phase with Juno descending and Jupiter loosely on the IC. Stellium in Leo; minor T-square between Saturn, Neptune and Eris. Mercury was retrograde. Cyrene semi-sextile Pholus. Moon sextile Chiron with both semi-sextile the North Node. Mercury trine Chiron, sesquiquadrate Sedna, conjunct Chariklo and semi-square Asbolus. Mars opposite Pluto, sextile Vesta and sesquiquadrate Ceres. Ceres trine Uranus; Pallas sextile Neptune; Vesta trine and Ceres semi-square Pluto.
Summary
Cyrene has quite a Leonine/Strength feel, with the Sabian discussing creativity and inspiration; may also indicate fearlessness or being driven.
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| Discovery chart for (133) Cyrene: 17th August 1873, 06:13 UTC, Ann Arbor, MI. The asteroid is not depicted. |