(17178) Caitlinrita Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 October 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Caitlin Rita Kunchur (b. 2002) was a finalist in the 2020 Regeneron Science Talent Search, a science competition for high school seniors, for her physics project. She attended the Dutch Fork High School, Irmo, South Carolina.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #8, 10), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Caitlinrita is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Caitlinrita is 3.44 au from the Sun and 2.45 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 17178 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 TK218 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.55 km (#6,109 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0880 |
| Rotation period | 9.07 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.97 |
| Orbital period | 5.51 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.12 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.50 – 3.74 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.200 |
| Inclination | 5.08° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.49 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Caitlin
All asteroids named after someone called Caitlin
Also discovered on 15 October 1999
- (21822) Degiorgi
- (22928) Templehe
- (22944) Sarahmarzen
- (22945) Schikowski
- (22947) Carolsuh
- (25381) Jerrynelson
- (38461) Jiritrnka
- (66671) Sfasu
- (70449) Gruebel
- (137315) Wangshouwu
- (192686) Aljuroma