(9509) Amfortas Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 16 October 1977 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Amfortas was the king of Monsalvat and of the knights of the Holy Grail in Wagner's opera Parsifal.Naming citation (20001111/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Amfortas is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsAmfortasAmfortas

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Amfortas is 2.22 au from the Sun and 1.55 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number9509
Provisional designation3453 T-3
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Rotation period3.85 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)14.88
Orbital period3.53 years
Semi-major axis2.32 au
Perihelion – aphelion1.97 – 2.67 au
Eccentricity0.151
Inclination6.69°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)0.964 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also discovered on 16 October 1977

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.