(20445) Kanakosakamoto Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 May 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Kanako Sakamoto (b. 1983) is a Japanese curator at JAXA. She played a key role in developing Hayabusa2’s sampling system and the successful return of the first C-type asteroid samples. She contributed greatly to capsule recovery, container opening, and initial analysis as a liaison among engineers, scientists, the mission team, and the research community.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 21), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kanakosakamoto is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kanakosakamoto is 2.83 au from the Sun and 3.79 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20445 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 JN77 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.53 km (#8,212 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0310 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.44 |
| Orbital period | 3.51 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.31 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.74 – 2.88 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.245 |
| Inclination | 7.21° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.741 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Kanako
All asteroids named after someone called Kanako
Also discovered on 12 May 1999
- (16059) Marybuda
- (16060) Dahliadry
- (17124) Rishavalera
- (17125) Vijayakumar
- (17126) Sophiawang
- (17127) Ryanwestcott
- (17131) Paulazhu
- (17138) Burgosrosario
- (17139) Malyshev
- (17140) Yangkevin
- (17141) Bhatia
- (17143) Andrewbrinton