(20553) Donaldhowk Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 9 September 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.

Donald Howk mentored a finalist in the 2004 Discovery Channel Youth Science Challenge (DCYSC), a middle school science competition. He teaches at the Keystone Junior High School, San Antonio, Texas.Naming citation (20041028/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Donaldhowk is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsDonaldhowkDonaldhowk

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Donaldhowk is 2.08 au from the Sun and 2.89 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number20553
Provisional designation1999 RQ113
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter3.21 km (#14,684 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.171
Rotation period5.25 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)14.9
Orbital period3.49 years
Semi-major axis2.30 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.06 – 2.55 au
Eccentricity0.106
Inclination2.79°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.05 au

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

Also named after someone called Donald

Also discovered on 9 September 1999

More named asteroids discovered by LINEAR