(12939) Ignassnellen Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Ignas Snellen (b. 1970) is a Dutch astronomer, specializing in the study of exoplanets. Since 2022, he has been scientific director of Leiden Observatory. Ignas is a passionate communicator and often acts as an expert in Dutch national media.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #17, 15), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ignassnellen is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ignassnellen is 2.08 au from the Sun and 2.77 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12939 |
| Provisional designation | 4206 P-L |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.63 |
| Orbital period | 3.52 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.31 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.91 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.172 |
| Inclination | 11.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.911 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 24 September 1960
- (1743) Schmidt
- (1744) Harriet
- (1776) Kuiper
- (1777) Gehrels
- (1795) Woltjer
- (1808) Bellerophon
- (1809) Prometheus
- (1810) Epimetheus
- (1811) Bruwer
- (1812) Gilgamesh
- (1846) Bengt
- (1868) Thersites