(12145) Behaim Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Martin Behaim (1459-1507) was a German merchant, astronomer and cosmographer from Nürnberg. He traveled through Europe and became a Portuguese knight. He developed the earliest terrestrial globe, Erdapfel, or ‘Earth Apple’, with a diameter of about 50 cm.Naming citation (20101128/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Behaim is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsBehaimBehaim

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Behaim is 2.75 au from the Sun and 2.28 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number12145
Provisional designation4730 P-L
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Absolute magnitude (H)15.46
Orbital period4.35 years
Semi-major axis2.66 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.43 – 2.89 au
Eccentricity0.0862
Inclination4.75°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.42 au

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

Also named after someone called Martin

Also discovered on 24 September 1960

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