(128177) Griffioen Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 September 2003 by A. Vanden Heuvel at Calvin College.
Roger Griffioen (b. 1934) served 37 years at Calvin College, including seven years as academic dean and 17 years as physics chair. He built a high-quality physics program, implemented the construction of a college observatory and played a formative role in the lives of many students.Naming citation (20060613/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Griffioen is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Griffioen is 2.83 au from the Sun and 3.66 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 128177 |
| Provisional designation | 2003 RA11 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.73 |
| Orbital period | 4.87 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.87 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.78 – 2.97 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0334 |
| Inclination | 7.53° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.77 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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