The 944 Hidalgo reference article from the English Wikipedia on 24-Jul-2004 (provided by Fixed Reference: snapshots of Wikipedia from wikipedia.org)

944 Hidalgo

944 Hidalgo is an unusual asteroid, and has the longest orbital period (13.77 years) of any asteroid in the traditional asteroid belt.

With a high eccentricity of 0.66, its perihelion of 1.95 AU takes it to the inner edge of the asteroid belt, while its aphelion of 9.54 AU is close to the average distance of Saturn's orbit. Its severe orbital inclination of 43° is suspected to be the result of a close encounter with Jupiter. Its odd orbit has led to suspicion that it was once a comet. Its diameter is estimated to be 20 km.

944 Hidalgo was discovereded by Walter Baade at Bergedorf Observatory on October 31, 1920 near Hamburg, Germany. German astronomers observed a total eclipse in Mexico on September 10 1923 and had an audience with the president of Mexico, and in honor of this they named the asteroid after the Mexican hero Miguel Hidalgo y Costilla.

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