(9259) Janvanparadijs Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Jan van Paradijs (1946-1999), professor at the universities of Amsterdam and Alabama, was a pioneer researcher on issues of high-energy astrophysics. His recognition of the first optical counterpart to a γ-ray burst led to improved understanding of the physics of these events, their source environment and typical distances.Naming citation (19991123/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Janvanparadijs is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Janvanparadijs is 2.66 au from the Sun and 3.56 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9259 |
| Provisional designation | 2189 T-2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.81 km (#13,188 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.288 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.35 |
| Orbital period | 4.24 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.62 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.31 – 2.93 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.119 |
| Inclination | 1.15° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.29 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jan
- (2308) Schilt
- (3791) Marci
- (3847) Sindel
- (6266) Letzel
- (6834) Hunfeld
- (7218) Skacel
- (7221) Sallaba
- (7701) Zrzavy
- (7849) Janjosefric
- (8149) Ruff
- (9239) van Riebeeck
- (9561) van Eyck
All asteroids named after someone called Jan
Also discovered on 29 September 1973
- (2049) Grietje
- (4357) Korinthos
- (4549) Burkhardt
- (4721) Atahualpa
- (4752) Myron
- (4876) Strabo
- (4978) Seitz
- (5151) Weerstra
- (5197) Rottmann
- (5243) Clasien
- (5244) Amphilochos
- (5266) Rauch