Mithras and the 4486 Mithra Asteroid - Toronto, Ontario
Posted by: 
Metro2
N 43° 40.070 W 079° 23.643
17T E 629472 N 4836233
In Persian Zoroastrianism, Mithras was the god of light and truth.
Waymark Code: WMF36V
Location: Ontario, Canada
Date Posted: 08/15/2012
Views: 3
This relief is located in Toronto's Royal Ontario Museum. The accompanying placard informs us:
"THE GOD MITHRAS
In Persian Zoroastrianism, Mithras was the god of light and truth and the promised word. In this Roman relief, he wears the Persian costume of folded cap, tunic, and trousers. Mithraism was adopted by the Romans as a mystery cult, much favored by the Roman army. The cult was exclusively for men. The slaying of the mystic bull implies the triumph of good over evil, the giving of immortality and happiness beyond the grave."
As for the asteroid, Wikipedia (
visit link) informs us:
"4486 Mithra is an Apollo and Mars-crosser asteroid. It was discovered by Eric Elst and Vladimir Shkodrov on September 22, 1987. It is named after Mithra, Indo-Iranian god of light. In Asia Minor around 330 B.C. the god Mithra was identified with the Greek god Apollo, hence the name.
In 2000 it made a very close approach to Earth, passing 6.96 million km, or 0.047 au from it.
The asteroid measures 2–5 km in diameter. Its shape has been analyzed by radar, and has been revealed as bizarre: it is the most highly bifurcated object in the solar system, with two distinct lobes."