(487761) Frankbrandner Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 26 October 2011 by Pan-STARRS 1 at Haleakala.
Frank Brandner (1961-2014) was an inspiring teacher and photographer at the Otto-Schott-Gymnasium in Jena, Germany, who encouraged his students to excel in astronomy, including the discovery of minor planets. Name suggested by C. Liefke and students from the Otto-Schott-Gymnasium.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2020-08-07), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Frankbrandner is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Frankbrandner is 2.76 au from the Sun and 3.74 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 487761 |
| Provisional designation | 2015 RX194 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.68 |
| Orbital period | 4.40 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.69 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.59 – 2.78 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0361 |
| Inclination | 3.05° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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