(23032) Fossey Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 3 December 1999 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
American occupational therapist Dian Fossey (1932-1985) spent many years in Africa studying the behavior of the mountain gorilla, the largest and rarest of the great apes. Her campaign for their protection was largely responsible for bringing the species back from the brink of extinction.Naming citation (20011230/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Fossey is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Fossey is 2.56 au from the Sun and 1.58 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 23032 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 XB8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.30 km (#14,476 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.195 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.77 |
| Orbital period | 4.57 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.75 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.56 – 2.95 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0698 |
| Inclination | 7.17° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.57 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 3 December 1999
- (14223) Dolby
- (17195) Jimrichardson
- (17196) Mastrodemos
- (23038) Jeffbaughman
- (24173) SLAS
- (24186) Shivanisud
- (25462) Haydenmetsky
- (29986) Shunsuke
- (43188) Zouxiaoduan
- (92097) Aidai