Focus On: (25) Phocaea

Basics

Class: S-type asteroid
Location: Main belt, Phocaea family
Orbit length (approx): 3.72 years
Discovered: 6th April 1853 (time unknown) from Marseille, France, by Jean Chacornac
Notes: Phocaea measures between 61.05 and 83.21km in diameter.
Events at time of discovery:

• April 7 – Birth of Ella Eaton Kellogg, American pioneer in dietetics
• April 16 – Indian Railways: The first passenger railway in India opens from Bombay to Thana, Maharashtra, 22 miles.
• April 22 – Birth of Alphonse Bertillon, French police officer, forensic scientist

---

Naming information

Name origin: Ancient Greek city.
Mythology: Phocaea or Phokaia (modern-day Foça in Turkey) was a city on the western coast of Anatolia. Greek colonists from Phocaea founded the colony of Massalia (Marseille), from where the asteroid was discovered. Probably following the Lydians, the Phocaeans were among the earliest in the world to make and use coins as money. They also travelled extensively by sea.

The remains of the ancient theatre in Phocaea, now Foça in Aegean Turkey. Though small, this is supposed to have been one of the oldest theatres in Anatolia. Photo by QuartierLatin1968.

---

Astrological data

Discovery degree: 17+ Scorpio
Discovery Sabian: A Path Through Woods Brilliant with Multicolored Splendor
Discovery nodal signature: Scorpio-Aries
Estimated orbital resonances: Venus 1:6, Earth 4:15, Mars 4:7, Ceres 5:4, Jupiter 16:5
Discovery chart details: Large Aries-Taurus stellia. Phocaea was sesquiquadrate Mars and opposite Saturn. Uranus semi-square, Pholus quincunx and Chariklo sextile North Node. Ceres closely trine Neptune, Pallas opposite Pluto. Mars sextile Vesta and Chiron sextile Neptune.

---

Summary and references

Amable links Phocaea with food preservation techniques of all kinds^[1]; from the data I'd add initiation of a longstanding tradition or complex process, development in terms of sophistication, branching out, the courage to speak or act first, inventive or inspired vision.

References:
1) Amable: (25) Phocaea

---

Noon discovery chart for (25) Phocaea: 6th April 1853, Marseille, France.