(278640) Elenacerniene Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 September 2008 by E. Äernis K. Äernis at Moletai.
Elena Černienė (b. 1961) is a Lithuanian amateur astronomer. She is an astronomy and theology teacher at Vilnius Senvagės Gymnasium. Elena and her husband, K. Černis, have observed several total solar eclipses and bright comets, including C/1995 O1 (Hale-Bopp) and C/2023 A3. She actively promotes astronomy, mentoring school students for Astronomy Olympiads.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #2, 22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Elenacerniene is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Elenacerniene is 3.08 au from the Sun and 2.93 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 278640 |
| Provisional designation | 2008 RZ5 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.03 |
| Orbital period | 5.56 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.87 – 3.40 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0839 |
| Inclination | 10.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.88 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 September 2008
- (241373) Richardmoissl
- (274333) Voznyukigor
- (342000) Neumunster
- (360072) Alcimedon
- (381458) Moiseenko
- (584947) Shistovsky