(8872) Ebenum Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 4 April 1992 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Named for Ebenaceae, the ebony family, with only two genera and 500 species. Male and female flowers are usually borne on separate plants. The Dispyros genus dominates, the fruit of the Diospyros virginiana (persimmon) being good to eat. Diospyros ebenum (Macassar ebony) is a valuable wood.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #9, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ebenum is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ebenum is 3.05 au from the Sun and 4.05 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8872 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 GA4 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 12.2 km (#4,019 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0690 |
| Rotation period | 10.5 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.29 |
| Orbital period | 5.76 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.89 – 3.54 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.101 |
| Inclination | 1.44° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.87 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 4 April 1992
- (6972) Helvetius
- (7020) Yourcenar
- (7343) Ockeghem
- (8521) Boulainvilliers
- (8685) Faure
- (10797) Guatemala
- (11908) Nicaragua
- (17506) Walschap