(129342) Ependes Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 November 2005 by P. Kocher at Marly.
Ependes is a small village in a green landscape some 6 km from Fribourg, Switzerland. This municipality made property available for the R. A. Naef Observatory. Its goal is to introduce astronomy to the people, especially to young people.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #19, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ependes is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ependes is 2.20 au from the Sun and 1.27 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 129342 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 VA4 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.83 |
| Orbital period | 4.23 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.62 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.04 – 3.20 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.222 |
| Inclination | 5.08° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.03 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.