(23443) Kikwaya Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 4 October 1986 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Jean Baptiste Kikwaya Eluo (b. 1965) is a native of the Democratic Republic of Congo and Staff Astronomer at the Vatican Observatory. Using optical meteor measurements, he estimates the bulk densities of smaller meteoroids through numerical ablation models.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2014-07-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kikwaya is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kikwaya is 2.50 au from the Sun and 2.99 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 23443 |
| Provisional designation | 1986 TG1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.98 km (#6,598 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.145 |
| Rotation period | 5.15 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.2 |
| Orbital period | 4.11 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.57 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.24 – 2.89 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.126 |
| Inclination | 14.9° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.24 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Jean
- (2221) Chilton
- (2267) Agassiz
- (3821) Sonet
- (8116) Jeanperrin
- (8604) Vanier
- (9138) Murdoch
- (9968) Serpe
- (10111) Fresnel
- (10215) Lavilledemirmont
- (10440) van Swinden
- (12286) Poiseuille
- (12498) Dragesco
All asteroids named after someone called Jean
Also discovered on 4 October 1986
- (3874) Stuart
- (4209) Briggs
- (4788) Simpson
- (4822) Karge
- (4823) Libenice
- (4969) Lawrence
- (5105) Westerhout
- (5768) Pittich
- (6266) Letzel
- (7169) Linda
- (8001) Ramsden
- (8267) Kiss
More named asteroids discovered by E. Bowell
- (2246) Bowell
- (2264) Sabrina
- (2270) Yazhi
- (2316) Jo-Ann
- (2356) Hirons
- (2357) Phereclos
- (2383) Bradley
- (2409) Chapman
- (2410) Morrison
- (2411) Zellner
- (2421) Nininger
- (2432) Soomana
← (23437) Sima · (23444) Kukucin →