81 Terpsichore
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81 Terpsichore is a large and very dark main-belt asteroid. It has most probably a very primitive carbonaceous composition. It was found by the prolific comet discoverer Ernst Tempel on September 30, 1864.<ref name=Tempel1864/> It is named after Terpsichore, the Muse of dance in Greek mythology.
Photometric observations of the minor planet in 2011 gave a rotation period of Template:Val with an amplitude of Template:Val in magnitude. This result is consistent with previous determinations.<ref name=Pilcher2011/> Two stellar occultation events involving this asteroid were observed from multiple sites in 2009. The resulting chords matched a smooth elliptical cross-section with dimensions of Template:Val × Template:Val.<ref name=Timerson2010/>
In popular culture
A space station orbiting 81 Terpsichore is the main setting in the science fiction story The Dark Colony (Asteroid Police Book 1) by Richard Penn.
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