Kythera is asteroid #570 and also known as A905 OF. Kythera’s orbit is characterized by a semi-major axis of 3.42 Astronomical Units, an eccentricity of 0.12, a period of revolution of 2 309 days, and an inclination of 1.8 degrees. Kythera belongs to the Cybele group. Kythera was discovered by the German (from Baden, a grand-dukedom with Karlsruhe as the capital, while Germany still didn’t exist) astronomer Maximilian Franz Joseph Cornelius Wolf, usually referred to as Max Wolf, at the Heidelberg-Königstuhl State Observatory (Landessternwarte Heidelberg-Königstuhl).

Kythera is named after the Greek island Kythira (Κύθηρα), that classical philologists transcribe as Kythēra. According to a legend, the settlement on Kythira (Κύθηρα) was founded by a son of Phoínix (Φοῖνιξ), who is mainly known for his infertility and in consequence childlessness. According to archeologists, Kythira (Κύθηρα) had initially been a Phoenician settlement, while historians know that Kythira (Κύθηρα) since the early sixth century B.C. belonged to Sparta and was several times conquered by Athens until the island in 195 B.C. became independent while Sparta was defeated by the Achaeans. During the time of the Roman Empire had Kythira (Κύθηρα) once been the private property of Gaius Julius Eurycles, but besides this was independent until Venice took Kythira (Κύθηρα) during the Fourth Crusade. In 1797 A.D., Napoleon made Kythira (Κύθηρα) French. In 1799, the Ionian Islands, including Kythira (Κύθηρα), became the Septinsular Republic. The Ionian Islands were then in 1807 conquered by France and 1809 by Great Britain. In 1859, the Ionian Islands came under the sovereignty of King George I of Greece, who was the brother-in-law of the Prince of Wales. Thus Kythira (Κύθηρα) became Greek again.

Kythira (Κύθηρα) is located opposite the south-eastern tip of the Peloponnese peninsula, strategically between the Greek mainland and Crete. Kythira (Κύθηρα) is traditionally listed as one of the seven main Ionian Islands, although it is distant from the main group. As a municipality, Kythira (Κύθηρα) includes the island of Antikythera to the south. In ancient and medieval times did Kythira (Κύθηρα) profit from its strategic position and trade with Tyrian purple added to its wealth. In modern time is Kythira (Κύθηρα) rather suffering from bad transportation. An issue, which many islands have.

Kythira (Κύθηρα) is in mythology important because it is said that Aphrodite, after her birth in the foam of the waves of the sea, went on land there. Usually Cyprus is believed to be the homeland of Aphrodite, but Greek mythology doesn’t explicitly say so. Kythira (Κύθηρα) and Cyprus compete with each other about the status of being Aphrodite’s homeland.

Fritz Cohn, the director of the The Astronomical Calculation Institute (Astronomisches Rechen-Institut; ARI) back then, in 1913 stated that minor planets since several years didn’t get named anymore. This would be inconvenient and facilitate confounding of asteroids. So he demanded that discoverers of minor planets would suggest names for at least the asteroids until #700. This was discussed between astronomers and they then came up with a list of 108 names for asteroids from #570 to #727.

I will have to use the above paragraph as a boilerplate in articles about asteroids until #727. Kythera is the first asteroid in the list of asteroids, that had to wait too long for their names. So the asteroid Kythera indicates a missing name as well as long periods of waiting. Kythera besides this also is a place name asteroid, that hints to an island in the Ionian Sea.