Question 1

True or false: Hygiea is named after the Greek goddess of hygiene and cleanliness.

Accepted Answer

True. Yes, Hygiea is the goddess of health and sanitation, and her name inspired the word 'hygiene.'

Question 2

True or false: Hygiea was the first asteroid ever discovered with a telescope.

Accepted Answer

False. Ceres was the first asteroid discovered, in 1801. Hygiea was found later, in 1849, by Annibale de Gasparis.

Question 3

True or false: Hygiea orbits the Sun beyond the orbit of Mars, closer than Jupiter.

Accepted Answer

False. Hygiea is in the main asteroid belt between Mars and Jupiter, but its orbit is not closer to Jupiter than most asteroids—it's typical.

Question 4

True or false: Hygiea is the fifth largest object in the asteroid belt by volume and mass.

Accepted Answer

True. Discovered in 1849, Hygiea is the fourth largest by diameter but fifth by mass, after Ceres, Vesta, Pallas, and Interamnia.

Question 5

True or false: Hygiea has a bright, reflective surface covered in metallic iron.

Accepted Answer

False. Hygiea is a dark C-type asteroid with a carbonaceous surface, reflecting only about 5% of sunlight—not bright or metallic.

Question 6

True or false: Hygiea has two small moons orbiting it, discovered in 2019.

Accepted Answer

False. No moons have been confirmed around Hygiea. Claims of a moon in 2019 were later retracted; it remains moonless.

Question 7

True or false: Hygiea is classified as a dwarf planet candidate because it appears nearly spherical.

Accepted Answer

True. Observations from the Very Large Telescope in 2017 showed Hygiea is round enough to meet dwarf planet criteria, unlike most asteroids.

Question 8

True or false: Hygiea rotates so slowly that its day lasts over 27 hours.

Accepted Answer

True. Hygiea’s rotation period is about 27.6 hours, unusually slow for an asteroid, likely due to past collisions or tidal forces.

Hygiea Trivia Questions