(12359) Cajigal Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 September 1993 by O. A. Naranjo at Merida.
With his founding in 1831 of the Military Academy of Mathematics, Juan Manuel Cajigal y Odoardo (1803-1856) initiated the study of mathematics and engineering in Venezuela. His installation of the first astronomical telescopes in Caracas was recognized with the establishment of El Observatorio Cajigal there in 1888.Naming citation (20030910/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cajigal is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cajigal is 3.31 au from the Sun and 3.50 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12359 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 SN3 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 13.1 km (#3,704 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0950 |
| Rotation period | 11.8 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.0 |
| Orbital period | 5.74 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.73 – 3.68 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.149 |
| Inclination | 0.952° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.74 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.