(113390) Helvetia

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Helvetia is the asteroid with the number 113,390th He was discovered on 29 September 2002 by the Swiss astronomer Markus Griesser, Head of the Observatory Mountain Ash in Winterthur and contributes in February 2006 officially this name.

Data

The asteroid has a diameter of about three kilometers and attracts its orbit around the Sun at an average distance of 344 million kilometers. He needs three and a half years for one orbit.

Meaning of the name

The elected by the explorers and by an international panel shared name honors the four different cultures of Switzerland and their ability to peaceful coexistence.

Helvetia is derived from the tribe of the Helvetii neo-Latin name for Switzerland and an allegorical female figure, which symbolizes the Switzerland.

On stamps and coins until today " Helvetia " is used as country name, because so none of the four official languages ​​( German, French, Italian, Romansh ) of Switzerland is preferred. For the same reason the Latin country code CH is selected, the abbreviation for Confoederatio Helvetica, Swiss Confederation.

Commemorative stamp

On the occasion of the International Year of Astronomy, Swiss Post has issued a special postage stamp on May 8, 2009. These so-called Europa stamp with the face value of CHF 1 shows the asteroid Helvetia. Discoverer Markus Griesser has designed this brand along with the designer Catherine Reber. The glowing in the dark stamp showing the orbit of asteroids in our solar system.