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Gaspra

Gaspra is a small asteroid in the inner region of the asteroid belt. It is classified as a stony S-type asteroid and has an irregular, elongated shape with an approximate diameter of 18 kilometers.

It was discovered on September 2, 1916 by Grigorij N. Neujmin at the Simeiz Observatory in Crimea.

Gaspra orbits the Sun in the inner asteroid belt with a low-eccentricity, low-inclination orbit, completing one

As an S-type asteroid, Gaspra is composed mainly of silicate minerals and nickel-iron. Its surface is rocky

The Galileo spacecraft conducted a close flyby of Gaspra in October 1991, providing the first detailed close-up

Gaspra is among the earliest asteroids to be imaged in detail by a spacecraft, helping to calibrate

The
name
Gaspra
is
taken
from
the
Crimean
resort
town
of
Gaspra
near
Yalta.
orbit
roughly
every
3.5
to
3.7
years.
and
densely
cratered,
with
relatively
high
albedo
around
0.2,
reflecting
sunlight
moderately.
images
of
an
asteroid's
surface.
The
images
revealed
an
irregular,
heavily
cratered
terrain,
contributing
to
understanding
of
asteroid
geology
and
the
diversity
of
shapes
within
the
asteroid
belt.
remote
sensing
methods
and
informing
models
of
asteroid
formation
and
evolution.