(12162) Bilderdijk Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Willem Bilderdijk (1756-1831) was a Dutch poet and scholar who composed two didactic astronomical poems, Starrenkennis (1794) and De Starrenhemel (1807). These described the celestial sphere, the Milky Way and the constellations. The name was suggested by R. H. van Gent.Naming citation (20100527/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bilderdijk is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bilderdijk is 2.82 au from the Sun and 3.54 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12162 |
| Provisional designation | 2145 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.01 km (#12,722 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.230 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.72 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.22 – 3.07 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.162 |
| Inclination | 13.4° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.22 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Willem
- (1964) Luyten
- (9686) Keesom
- (10436) Janwillempel
- (10652) Blaeu
- (10654) Bontekoe
- (10964) Degraaff
- (10984) Gispen
- (11240) Piso
- (11427) Willemkolff
- (12132) Wimfroger
- (12175) Wimhermans
- (13045) Vermandere
All asteroids named after someone called Willem
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch