Alauda is asteroid #702 and the head of the Hirayama-family Alauda in the Outer Asteroid Belt (the distal region of the Asteroid Main Belt). Alauda is also known as 1910 KQ. Alauda was discovered by the German astronomer Joseph Helffrich at Heidelberg (Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl). Alauda’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 3.195 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.02, a period of revolution of 2 086 days, and an inclination of 20.6 degrees. Alauda is of the type C. These characteristics are relevant because the members of a Hirayama-family resemble each other much in such characteristics. Alauda is the largest celestial body in her Hirayama-family.

Alauda is orbited by an “asteroid moon”. This is S/2007 (702) 1 or Pichi üñëm, also called Alauda I. The “asteroid moon” was discovered by Patricio Rojo and Jean-Luc Margot at the Very Large Telescope in Chile. Pichi üñëm has only two percent of the size of Alauda. An “Alauda year” consists of 423.83 “Alauda months”. Pichi üñëm is most likely the result of a collision, perhaps the collision creating the Hirayama-family Alauda.

Pichi üñëm means little bird in what once was known as the Chilean language. Sometimes this language is also referred to as the Mapuche language. The correct name of this language is Mapudungun. It is the language of the Mapuche, who are indigenous people living in Chile and Argentina. The Mapuche are the dominant indigenous people in Chile. So their language was once known as the Chilean language. Pichi üñëm was named this way because the Very Large Telescope, where Pichi üñëm was discovered, is located in Chile. Many of the most powerful of the European-operated telescopes are located in Chile. So either more Mapudungun names can be expected or naming only an “asteroid moon” this way reveals the relevance, which is ascribed by the civilized part of the world to the indigenous people of Chile.

The name Alauda is an only zoological name. Alauda is the genus of the lark. So Alauda is named after the lark, an oscine (means belonging to singing birds) bird, that is famous since Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet for singing in the early morning. About the question why the name was chosen can only be said that many asteroids are named after animals.

The Hirayama-family Alauda has more than thousand known members. Many of them are named. Among them are Shantou, TARDIS, Ursa, Merope, and Pillmore.

Because the lark is a singing bird, so I had the idea that the asteroid Alauda could be relevant in the natal chart of singers. Ariana Grande’s natal Alauda is in a trine with the natal North Node. This is a classic aspect to a main axis, but still much less than I expected. Other singing birds would then have to be considered too if Alauda should really be relevant this way. Alauda more likely simply represents larks and the early morning hours.