(7954) Kitao Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 19 September 1993 by Endate, K., Watanabe, K. at Kitami.
Named in honor of Koichi Kitao (b. 1953), Japanese amateur astronomer and director of the folklore section of the Oriental Astronomical Association. He is a winner of the I. Yamamoto Award (O.A.A.) and the S. Kaho Award (Japan Amateur Astronomical Conference) for his extensive studies of dialectal atar names and star-related folklore. Name proposed by the discoverers following a suggestion by S. Kuwabara, T. Sato and A. Fujii.Naming citation (19990728/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kitao is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kitao is 2.21 au from the Sun and 2.63 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 7954 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 SQ2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.83 km (#9,170 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.191 |
| Rotation period | 130 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.32 |
| Orbital period | 4.21 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.61 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.12 – 3.10 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.187 |
| Inclination | 14.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.13 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 19 September 1993
- (7193) Yamaoka
- (8098) Miyamotoatsushi
- (10139) Ronsard
- (10140) Villon
- (11084) Gio
- (11949) Kagayayutaka
- (11950) Morellet
- (13114) Isabelgodin
- (14004) Chikama
- (16646) Sparrman
- (17546) Osadakentaro
- (35169) Araake