(8968) Europaeus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Named for Caprimulgus europaeus, or nightjar.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #8, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Europaeus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Europaeus is 2.94 au from the Sun and 2.26 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8968 |
| Provisional designation | 1212 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.5 km (#4,297 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.146 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.66 |
| Orbital period | 5.23 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.01 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.67 – 3.36 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.115 |
| Inclination | 9.69° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.67 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch