(20237) Clavius Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 February 1998 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Christopher Clavius (1538-1612) was a German mathematician and astronomer. He figured out where to place the leap years in the Gregorian calendar. Pope Gregory XII revised the Julian calendar with the assistance of Clavius.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-05-29), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Clavius is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Clavius is 2.28 au from the Sun and 3.24 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20237 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 CC3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.64 km (#13,610 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.193 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.85 |
| Orbital period | 3.15 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.01 – 2.29 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0671 |
| Inclination | 3.66° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.995 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Christopher
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- (15851) Chrisfleming
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All asteroids named after someone called Christopher
Also discovered on 6 February 1998
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