(474640) Alicanto Trans-Neptunian Object
Discovered on 6 November 2004 by A. C. Becker at Cerro Tololo.
The Alicanto is a Chilean mythological bird of the Atacama Desert whose wings shine at night with beautiful, metallic colors. A miner who follows it can find rich mineral outcrops or treasures, but if the Alicanto discovers that it's being followed, it will turn off the shining of its wings and scuttle away in the darkness of the night.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #1, 30), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Alicanto is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Alicanto is 49.5 au from the Sun and 48.7 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 474640 |
| Provisional designation | 2004 VN112 |
| Orbit class | Trans-Neptunian Object |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 6.46 |
| Orbital period | 6,329 years |
| Semi-major axis | 342 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 47.4 – 637 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.862 |
| Inclination | 25.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 46.4 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.