(10208) Germanicus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 August 1997 by A. Vagnozzi at Santa Lucia.
Germanicus (15 B.C.–19 A.D.), a Roman general and nephew of Tiberius, also wrote several poems, including “Aratea”, the Latin version of Aratus' “Phaenomena”, an important astronomical work in which he described the constellations. In 1963, in Amelia, near Terni, a 2-meter bronze statue of Germanicus was found.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #13, 10), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Germanicus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Germanicus is 2.45 au from the Sun and 3.43 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 10208 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 QN1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.55 km (#13,820 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.267 |
| Rotation period | 3.35 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.61 |
| Orbital period | 3.34 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.23 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.78 – 2.69 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.202 |
| Inclination | 4.56° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.780 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.