(12561) Howard Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 September 1998 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Ron Howard (b. 1954) is a noted director of such films as Apollo 13 and A Beautiful Mind. He began his career as a child star in The Andy Griffith Show, later starring in the long-running TV series Happy Days before beginning his career as a director.Naming citation (20030318/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Howard as a baby name🐶 Howard as a dog name🐱 Howard as a cat name
Where Howard is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Howard is 3.51 au from the Sun and 2.55 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12561 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 SX7 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.92 |
| Orbital period | 5.46 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.10 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.66 – 3.54 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.141 |
| Inclination | 0.762° |
| 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 Ron
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- (16265) Lemay
- (17097) Ronneuman
- (445818) Ronbeck
- (611070) Hsurueron
All asteroids named after someone called Ron
Also discovered on 20 September 1998
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