(12643) Henkolthof Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Henk Olthof (b. 1944), a Dutch astronomer from Groningen, has worked on many space projects of the European Space Agency. From 2002 to 2010 he chaired the Royal Netherlands Society for Meteorology and Astronomy, contributing with success to the promotion of astronomy outside professional circles.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #19, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Henkolthof is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Henkolthof is 2.94 au from the Sun and 3.78 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12643 |
| Provisional designation | 3180 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.57 km (#11,489 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.307 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.82 |
| Orbital period | 5.08 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.95 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.86 – 3.05 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0321 |
| Inclination | 3.32° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.85 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Henk
All asteroids named after someone called Henk
Also discovered on 30 September 1973
- (4587) Rees
- (4848) Tutenchamun
- (5071) Schoenmaker
- (5196) Bustelli
- (5342) Le Poole
- (5885) Apeldoorn
- (6146) Adamkrafft
- (6258) Rodin
- (6259) Maillol
- (7265) Edithmuller
- (7316) Hajdu
- (8125) Tyndareus