(48480) Falk Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 December 1991 by F. Borngen at Tautenburg.
Writer and social pedagogue Johann Daniel Falk (1768–1826), legation councilor at Weimar and friendly with Goethe, founded the ‘Society of the Friends in Need’ and a home for neglected children during the Napoleonic wars. His song O du fröhliche is one of the best known Christmas carols.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #21, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Falk is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Falk is 2.86 au from the Sun and 3.69 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 48480 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 YK1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.09 km (#12,515 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.319 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.21 |
| Orbital period | 5.67 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.18 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.65 – 3.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.167 |
| Inclination | 8.45° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Johann
- (1651) Behrens
- (5195) Kaendler
- (6734) Benzenberg
- (7449) Dollen
- (8158) Herder
- (8203) Jogolehmann
- (8368) Lamont
- (8583) Froberger
- (9052) Uhland
- (9134) Encke
- (10749) Musaus
- (11673) Baur
All asteroids named after someone called Johann