(12016) Green Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 December 1996 by P. G. Comba at Prescott.
George Green (1793-1841), a self-taught miller's son of Nottingham, was instrumental (along with Gauss) in making the theories of electricity and magnetism a part of mathematical physics. His name is associated with the “Green's function” used in the solution of partial differential equations.Naming citation (20000124/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Green is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Green is 2.70 au from the Sun and 1.78 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12016 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 XC |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.99 km (#6,587 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0800 |
| Rotation period | 4.91 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.08 |
| Orbital period | 3.80 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.43 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.96 – 2.91 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.196 |
| Inclination | 6.73° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.940 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