(20123) Hansamundsen Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 19 November 1995 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Hans E. F. Amundsen (1958–2023) led the Arctic Mars Analogue Svalbard Expedition (AMASE). A rugged Norwegian field scientist, he established Svalbard as a premier testing ground for NASA Mars missions after the site revealed features analogous to Martian carbonates. With the AMASE team he helped develop instruments for multiple Mars missions.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #9, 11), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Hansamundsen is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Hansamundsen is 2.64 au from the Sun and 3.04 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20123 |
| Provisional designation | 1995 WD32 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.56 |
| Orbital period | 5.13 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.98 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.64 – 3.31 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.112 |
| Inclination | 3.52° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Hans
- (3692) Rickman
- (4991) Hansuess
- (5323) Fogh
- (5475) Hanskennedy
- (6847) Kunz-Hallstein
- (8122) Holbein
- (9562) Memling
- (9689) Freudenthal
- (10542) Ruckers
- (12672) Nygardh
- (12729) Berger
- (13177) Hansschmidt
All asteroids named after someone called Hans