(8768) Barnowl Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Named for the bird Tyto alba; Barn Owl is its English name. It belongs to the family of the Tytonidae.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #9, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Barnowl is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsBarnowlBarnowl

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Barnowl is 2.49 au from the Sun and 1.51 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number8768
Provisional designation2080 T-2
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter4.92 km (#10,760 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.290
Absolute magnitude (H)13.71
Orbital period3.77 years
Semi-major axis2.42 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.17 – 2.68 au
Eccentricity0.105
Inclination4.45°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.19 au

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

Also discovered on 29 September 1973

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