(12727) Cavendish Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Henry Cavendish (1731-1810) was a British eccentric and a physicist. In 1798 he successfully determined the universal constant of gravitation using an apparatus with two small lead spheres, attached on a fiber, and two large lead spheres, by measuring the angular deflection of the fiber.Naming citation (20040928/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cavendish is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cavendish is 2.12 au from the Sun and 1.51 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12727 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PB20 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.12 km (#12,466 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.262 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.07 |
| Orbital period | 3.42 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.27 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.08 – 2.47 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0862 |
| Inclination | 5.91° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Henry
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- (5891) Gehrig
- (9016) Henrymoore
- (10557) Rowland
- (10637) Heimlich
- (10753) van de Velde
- (13806) Darmstrong
- (17857) Hsieh
- (18979) Henryfong
- (19454) Henrymarr
- (27365) Henryfitz
- (28118) Vaux
All asteroids named after someone called Henry