(16777) Bosma Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 13 November 1996 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Albert Bosma (b. 1948) is a Dutch astronomer known for his 1978 thesis “The distribution of neutral hydrogen in spiral galaxies of various morphological types”, in which he suggested that galaxies contain significant dark matter.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #3, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bosma is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bosma is 3.48 au from the Sun and 3.35 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16777 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 VD29 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.92 km (#5,815 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0560 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.9 |
| Orbital period | 5.34 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.06 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.51 – 3.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.178 |
| Inclination | 1.61° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.52 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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