(12986) Kretke Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 February 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Katherine A. Kretke (b. 1982) contributed to NASA's Lucy Trojan asteroid mission as communications and public engagement lead. She is also an astrophysicist whose research focuses on protoplantary disk evolution, planet formation, and solar system evolution.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 13), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kretke is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kretke is 3.23 au from the Sun and 4.21 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12986 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 DM2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.76 km (#6,810 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0810 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.55 |
| Orbital period | 5.01 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.93 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.62 – 3.24 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.106 |
| Inclination | 10.2° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.65 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Katherine
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- (20281) Kathartman
- (20791) de Kleer
- (21939) Kasmith
- (23875) Strube
- (24119) Katherinrose
- (24385) Katcagen
All asteroids named after someone called Katherine
Also discovered on 28 February 1981
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- (3287) Olmstead
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- (3602) Lazzaro
- (3805) Goldreich
- (4052) Crovisier
- (4192) Breysacher
- (4473) Sears
- (4523) MIT
- (4989) Joegoldstein
- (5046) Carletonmoore