4486 Mithra
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Discoverer |
E. W. Elst and |
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Diameter (km) |
2.3 - 5.1 |
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Mass (kg) |
? |
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Rotation period (hrs) |
? |
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Orbital period (yrs) |
? |
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Semimajor axis (AU) |
2.20068 |
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Orbital eccentricity |
0.66255 |
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Orbital Inclination (deg) |
3.04610 |
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Albedo |
? |
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Type |
? |
| Named for the Indo-Iranian god of the heavenly light that
led to mithraism, one of the last oriental mystery cults to reach the
west, where it became the chief rival to and opponent of christianity.
In Babylonia, Chaldaean astrology was incorporated, while Greek art, religion
and philosophy provided the models for mithraic iconography and the mithraic
mysteries. The two religions have much in common: a divine lord by whom
man was assured of elevation, a sacramental meal and a ritual of baptism.
Many ruins of mithraic sanctuaries are still to be found in Europe, near
Frankfurt and Heidelberg, for example. This minor planet is of Apollo
type, and in Asia Minor around 330 B.C. the god Mithra was identified
with the god Apollo. |
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Images of Mithra |
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Last updated: March 15, 2002.
