(120481) Johannwalter Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1992 by Borngen, F., Schmadel, L. D. at Tautenburg.
Johann Walter (1496–1570), born not far from Jena, was cantor in the town of Torgau and director of the Saxon court orchestra. He published several collections of hymnbooks and composed the melody of the international ecumenical song “Each morning with its newborn light”. The name was suggested by the first discoverer.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #9, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Johannwalter is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Johannwalter is 2.54 au from the Sun and 1.88 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 120481 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 SP17 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 1.67 km (#17,291 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.132 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.89 |
| Orbital period | 3.72 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.40 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.92 – 2.88 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.199 |
| Inclination | 2.12° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.908 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Johann
- (1651) Behrens
- (5195) Kaendler
- (6734) Benzenberg
- (7449) Dollen
- (8158) Herder
- (8203) Jogolehmann
- (8368) Lamont
- (8583) Froberger
- (9052) Uhland
- (9134) Encke
- (10749) Musaus
- (11673) Baur
All asteroids named after someone called Johann
Also discovered on 24 September 1992
- (8690) Swindle
- (11916) Wiesloch
- (13092) Schrodinger
- (15761) Schumi
- (16589) Hastrup
- (20035) Lauriroche
- (21118) Hezimmermann
- (22348) Schmeidler
- (24749) Grebel
- (24750) Ohm
- (29250) Helmutmoritz
- (30883) de Broglie