(16969) Helamuda Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 October 1998 by Starkenburg at Heppenheim.
Helamuda is an acronym for Hessisches Landesmuseum Darmstadt, the museum of the federal state of Hessen. This unique institution features exquisite collections in both fine arts and natural sciences and conducts paleontological excavations at the nearby Messel site.Naming citation (20010309/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Helamuda is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Helamuda is 3.42 au from the Sun and 3.12 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16969 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 UM20 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.01 |
| Orbital period | 5.84 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.24 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.74 – 3.74 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.154 |
| Inclination | 2.60° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.76 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.