(18473) Kikuchijun Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 November 1995 by Endate, K., Watanabe, K. at Kitami.
Jun Kikuchi (b. 1967) purchased his first telescope during the height of Halley's Comet fever in 1986. Though cloudy skies thwarted his attempts at comet photography, his interest in solar eclipse photography led him to France in 1999, and to China in 2008 and 2009.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-09-09), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kikuchijun is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kikuchijun is 2.69 au from the Sun and 1.83 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 18473 |
| Provisional designation | 1995 VK1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.35 km (#11,948 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.257 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.28 |
| Orbital period | 4.51 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.73 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.54 – 2.92 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0699 |
| Inclination | 1.79° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.55 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jun
All asteroids named after someone called Jun
Also discovered on 15 November 1995
- (7674) Kasuga
- (8904) Yoshihara
- (11987) Yonematsu
- (13627) Yukitamayo
- (14499) Satotoshio
- (20117) Tannoakira
- (24844) Hwanginjoon
- (37693) Utofumiaki
- (43899) Kobayashihiroki