(16761) Hertz Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 3 October 1996 by V. Goretti at Pianoro.
German physicist Heinrich Rudolf Hertz (1857-1894) substantially advanced knowledge of electricity. His experiments demonstrated the existence and examined the nature of electromagnetic waves, thereby opening the road to some of the most important achievements of modern technology.Naming citation (20010309/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Hertz is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Hertz is 2.28 au from the Sun and 1.99 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16761 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 TE8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.4 |
| Orbital period | 4.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.66 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.18 – 3.15 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Inclination | 12.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.18 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Heinrich
- (3635) Kreutz
- (4297) Eichhorn
- (5762) Wanke
- (7873) Boll
- (8053) Kleist
- (8811) Waltherschmadel
- (9133) d'Arrest
- (10509) Heinrichkayser
- (15273) Ruhmkorff
- (15724) Zille
- (31032) Scheidemann
- (215868) Rohrer
All asteroids named after someone called Heinrich