Niobe is asteroid #71 and also known as A861 PA. Niobe’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 2.75 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.18, a period of revolution of 1 670 days, and an inclination of 23.3 degrees. Niobe is a member of the Hirayama-family Gallia. Niobe was discovered by the German astronomer Karl Theodor Robert Luther at the Düsseldorf Observatory. The brightness of Niobe varies. This was already in the year of the discovery proven by the German astronomer Friedrich Tietjen, after whom the asteroid Tietjen is named.

Niobe is named after Nióbē (Νιόβη), who is the daughter of Tántalos (Τάνταλος), after whom the asteroid Tantalus is named. Broteas (Βροτέας), Daskylos (Δάσκυλος), and Pelops (Πέλοψ) are the names of the brothers of Nióbē (Νιόβη). The tale of Nióbē (Νιόβη) is the tale of the second generation suffering from the Tantalids’ curse, but the tale is only known from Ovid. Nióbē (Νιόβη) was married with Amphīōn (Ἀμφίων), the king of Thebes, and gave birth to seven sons and to seven daughters. Other authors give other numbers, up to ten sons and ten daughters, but these authors seem not to know anything more than the numbers. Ovid even gives names for every child, although superfluous because these children didn’t live long. Nióbē (Νιόβη) bragged with having seven times as many children as the titaness Lētṓ (Λητώ), after whom the asteroid Leto is named. This made Apollon, the son of Lētṓ (Λητώ), visit Nióbē (Νιόβη) and kill all of her sons. On the next day, Artemis, the daughter of Lētṓ (Λητώ), visited Nióbē (Νιόβη) and killed all of her daughters. Amphīōn (Ἀμφίων), the father of these children, then committed suicide. Nióbē (Νιόβη) was in such a state of shock that she turned into a rock on the Sipylos (Σίπυλος) Mountain.

The chemical element niobium is so frequently associated with the chemical element tantalum that both were until the middle of the nineteenth century believed to be the same element. The English chemist Charles Hatchett already in 1801 discovered niobium and called it columbium after a personification of the USA because his sample came from there. The Swedish chemist Anders Gustaf Ekeberg in 1801 or 1802 discovered another element, which he called tantalum after Tántalos (Τάνταλος) from Greek mythology because it is quite inert. The English physician, physicist, and chemist William Hyde Wollaston in 1809 declared that columbium and tantalum are the same elements. Henceforth until 1844 had they been treated as one element and called tantalum. The German mineralogist Heinrich Rose didn’t know about the already forgotten columbium, but in 1844 discovered that minerals, which contain tantalum, could contain two chemical elements in truth. So distinguished them into tantalum and another chemical element, which he called niobium after Nióbē (Νιόβη), the daughter of Tántalos (Τάνταλος). Niobium is only produced as a byproduct in the production of tantalum. Niobium is added to steels and alloys in order to increase their mechanical and thermal resistance. Niobium changes the color of alloys to more blue and niobium also is bio-compatible, so that niobium is used for jewelry and for coating implants.

The interpretation of Niobe seems to be already clear to astrologers and I don’t see any reason to contradict them. Niobe can show areas, where you may be humbled if you show excessive pride. This is the opinion of Dark Pixie Astrology and Alex Miller only adds that Niobe also can indicate issues with one’s own children. This rather means to get humbled because feeling too proud of them. Niobe in general shows where you must expect to get humbled for your pride, whether you’ve got children or not.