(20009) Joerao Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 18 July 1991 by H. E. Holt at Palomar.
Joseph Michael Rao (b. 1956) was the Emmy Award-nominated chief meteorologist and science editor at News 12 Westchester (New York) for 21 years. Since 1986, he has served as an associate and guest lecturer at the Hayden Planetarium. He is also a regular contributor to Sky & Telescope, Space.com, Natural History, and the Farmers’ Almanac.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #10, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Joerao is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Joerao is 3.04 au from the Sun and 3.94 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20009 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 OY |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 2.97 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.32 |
| Orbital period | 4.09 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.56 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.02 – 3.09 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.210 |
| Inclination | 8.65° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.01 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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