Basics
Class: S-type asteroid
Location: Outer main belt, Koronis family
Orbit length (approx): 4.86 years
Discovered: 4th January 1876 (time unknown), from Berlin, Germany, by Viktor Knorre
Notes: A collision involving 158 Koronis 15 million years ago created a cluster of 246 objects. 158 Koronis itself retained 98.7% of the total mass. These new objects formed the Koronis(2) subfamily of the much larger Koronis family (also known as the Lacrimosa family).
Events at time of discovery:
- January 1 – The Reichsbank opens in Berlin.
- – The Bass Brewery Red Triangle becomes the world’s first registered trademark symbol.
- January 12 – Birth of Ermanno Wolf-Ferrari, Italian composer
- – Birth of Jack London, American author
- January 20 – Birth of Józef Hofmann, Polish pianist
Naming information
Name origin: Thessalian princess in Greek myth, loved by the god Apollo.
Mythology: During her pregnancy, Koronis had an affair with a man named Iskhys; a raven informed Apollo of this, and either he or his sister Artemis killed her as a consequence. Later he felt remorse, and in anger against the raven turned its white feathers black. He recovered his son Asklepios from Koronis’ womb, and gave him to Chiron to raise. Koronis was later set amongst the stars as the constellation Corvus (“the Crow”). Her name means “Curved One” or “Crow”. (Schmadel notes there is also a nymph named Koronis, daughter of Atlas and the Oceanid Aethra.)
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| A carrion crow (Corvus corone) perching in a tree in Southend-on-Sea, U.K. Photo by jans canon. |
Astrological data
Discovery degree: 18+ Cancer
Discovery Sabian: A Priest Performing a Marriage Ceremony
Discovery nodal signature: Capricorn–Cancer
Estimated orbital resonances: Mercury 1:20, Mars 7:16, Ceres 16:17, Jupiter 17:7
Discovery chart details: Noon. Koronis was opposite Mercury, semi-sextile Uranus and quincunx Pholus, with all four interaspecting. Sedna was conjunct the North Node. Venus trine Vesta; Mars sextile Pluto and semi-sextile Chiron; Vesta semi-square Jupiter and sesquiquadrate Saturn; Pallas trine Saturn. Ceres opposite Neptune; Chiron sesquiquadrate Chariklo.
Summary and references
Alex Miller calls this asteroid “our celestial marker for the coronavirus”[1]. I’d add: redemption; messages, communication and misunderstandings; breaches of etiquette or rules causing underestimation or undervaluing of a person or idea.
References:
1) Alex Miller: Astrological Obituary: Colin Powell
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| Noon discovery chart for (158) Koronis: 4th January 1876, Berlin, Germany. |