(3898) Curlewis Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 26 September 1981 by M. P. Candy at Bickley.

Named in memory of Harold Burnham Curlewis (1874–1960), government astronomer for Western Australia during 1912–1940 and second director of the Perth Observatory. Because of severe funding cuts, he was sometimes the observatory's only employee, but he managed to keep the observatory operational during the severe years of the depression. His 38 years of continuous service remain the longest of any employee of the Perth Observatory. Name suggested and citation provided by J. Biggs and P. Birch.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Curlewis is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Curlewis is 2.74 au from the Sun and 2.51 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	3898
Provisional designation	1981 SF9
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	16.4 km (#2,810 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.0750
Absolute magnitude (H)	12.79
Orbital period	5.49 years
Semi-major axis	3.11 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.62 – 3.60 au
Eccentricity	0.158
Inclination	0.659°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.63 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Harold

All asteroids named after someone called Harold

Also discovered on 26 September 1981

More named asteroids discovered by M. P. Candy

(3893) DeLaeter

← (3897) Louhi · (3899) Wichterle →