(20063) Kanakoseki Outer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 September 1993 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Kanako Seki (b. 1972) is a Japanese astrophysicist who specializes in planetary magnetospheres. She discovered that the loss of oxygen from Earth's atmosphere was about one-tenth the rate previously thought. She is a Science Team member for the ESA/JAXA Bepi-Columbo mission. Kanako is a recipient of the 2024 COSPAR William Nordberg Medal.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #11, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kanakoseki is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kanakoseki is 3.10 au from the Sun and 3.56 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20063 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 RC4 |
| Orbit class | Outer Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.3 km (#4,392 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0790 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.3 |
| Orbital period | 5.77 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.96 – 3.47 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0789 |
| Inclination | 3.94° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.96 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 15 September 1993
- (8039) Grandprism
- (9381) Lyon
- (10356) Rudolfsteiner
- (10557) Rowland
- (10558) Karlstad
- (11083) Caracas
- (11572) Schindler
- (12356) Carlscheele
- (13113) Williamyeats
- (14911) Fukamatsu
- (15786) Hoshioka
- (17544) Kojiroishikawa