(85217) Bilzingsleben Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 31 October 1992 by F. Borngen at Tautenburg.
About 370 000 years ago in the middle glacial period, an anthropoid Eurasian group bilzingslebenensis, belonging to the species Homo erectus, settled on a lake near Bilzingsleben, today in Thuringia. Since 1969 sensational findings have been made at this place by D. Mania and collaborators.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #12, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bilzingsleben is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bilzingsleben is 2.63 au from the Sun and 3.62 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 85217 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 US8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.92 |
| Orbital period | 3.26 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.20 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.74 – 2.65 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.206 |
| Inclination | 2.27° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.750 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.