(8857) Cercidiphyllum Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Named for Cercidiphyllaceae, a family with only one member, Cercidiphyllum japonicum (katsura), regarded as a plant of primitive origin. It was originally classified as belonging to the magnolias, but it seems more related to the planes.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #9, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cercidiphyllum is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cercidiphyllum is 2.77 au from the Sun and 2.57 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8857 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PA7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.47 km (#8,279 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0530 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.95 |
| Orbital period | 3.76 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.42 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.01 – 2.83 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.171 |
| Inclination | 2.25° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.990 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 6 August 1991
- (5447) Lallement
- (6404) Vanavara
- (7062) Meslier
- (8279) Cuzco
- (8672) Morse
- (8858) Cornus
- (9342) Carygrant
- (9860) Archaeopteryx
- (10781) Ritter
- (12298) Brecht
- (13064) Haemhouts
- (15278) Paquet