(8966) Hortulana Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 26 March 1971 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Named for Emberiza hortulana, or ortolan bunting.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #8, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Hortulana is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsHortulanaHortulana

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Hortulana is 3.48 au from the Sun and 3.14 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number8966
Provisional designation3287 T-1
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter8.90 km (#5,828 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.0670
Absolute magnitude (H)14.05
Orbital period5.35 years
Semi-major axis3.06 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.64 – 3.48 au
Eccentricity0.137
Inclination0.717°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.65 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also discovered on 26 March 1971

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.