(4656) Huchra Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
John Peter Huchra (1948-2010), Doyle professor of cosmology at Harvard and some time associate director for optical and infrared astronomy at the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics, was renowned for his work on the distribution of matter in the universe, including in particular the “Great Wall” of galaxies.Naming citation (20101128/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Huchra is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Huchra is 2.66 au from the Sun and 1.77 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4656 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VZ3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.47 |
| Orbital period | 4.82 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.85 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.65 – 3.05 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0708 |
| Inclination | 1.72° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.66 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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