(9465) Fergusonsam Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 23 April 1998 by LINEAR at Socorro.

Samuel Ferguson (b. 2000) was a finalist in the 2019 Regeneron Science Talent Search (STS), a science competition for high school seniors, for his engineering project. He attended the West Windsor Plainsboro High School South, Princeton Junction, New Jersey.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #2, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Fergusonsam is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsFergusonsamFergusonsam

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Fergusonsam is 2.90 au from the Sun and 1.93 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number9465
Provisional designation1998 HJ121
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter6.86 km (#7,814 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.180
Rotation period5.80 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)13.61
Orbital period5.31 years
Semi-major axis3.04 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.74 – 3.35 au
Eccentricity0.0990
Inclination11.0°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.75 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Samuel

Also discovered on 23 April 1998

More named asteroids discovered by LINEAR