(128593) Balfourwhitney Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 August 2004 by R. A. Tucker at Goodricke-Pigott.
Balfour S. Whitney (1903–1993) was an American astronomer who spent his long life teaching astronomy and studying variable stars. He specialized in photographic photometry, taking over 72 000 plates for the study of eclipsing variables. Many of his students became professional astronomers.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #1, 22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Balfourwhitney is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Balfourwhitney is 2.43 au from the Sun and 2.71 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 128593 |
| Provisional designation | 2004 QU6 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.77 km (#15,724 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0770 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.96 |
| Orbital period | 4.54 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.74 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.17 – 3.31 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.208 |
| Inclination | 3.44° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.16 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 20 August 2004
- (128607) Richhund
- (128610) Stasiahabenicht
- (128611) Paulnowak
- (133889) Nicholasmills
- (133891) Jaesubhong