(8458) Georgekoenig Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
George Koenig (b. 1945) is the observatory superintendent for the NASA Infrared Telescope Facility on Mauna Kea, Hawaii. As a member of the IRTF summit day crew since 1983, he has worked to ensure that the telescope and its infrastructure are maintained and operational.Naming citation (20120506/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Georgekoenig is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Georgekoenig is 2.59 au from the Sun and 2.73 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8458 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EY9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.46 km (#16,344 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.423 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.92 |
| Orbital period | 3.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.27 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.94 – 2.59 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.143 |
| Inclination | 3.70° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.959 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called George
- (2167) Erin
- (3865) Lindbloom
- (4149) Harrison
- (4817) Gliba
- (6400) Georgealexander
- (6552) Higginson
- (6824) Mallory
- (6854) Georgewest
- (7042) Carver
- (7307) Takei
- (7932) Plimpton
- (8249) Gershwin
All asteroids named after someone called George
Also discovered on 1 March 1981
- (2788) Andenne
- (3016) Meuse
- (3029) Sanders
- (3030) Vehrenberg
- (3042) Zelinsky
- (3058) Delmary
- (3075) Bornmann
- (3135) Lauer
- (3308) Ferreri
- (3472) Upgren
- (3498) Belton
- (3503) Brandt