(6629) Kurtz Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 17 October 1982 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Named in honor of Paul Kurtz (b. 1925) of the State University of New York at Buffalo. Kurtz is professor emeritus of philosophy, chairman and founder of the Committee for the Scientific Investigation of Claims of the Paranormal (CSICOP), chairman of the Council for Secular Humanism, and founder and chairman of Prometheus Books. A noted author and philosopher, he has written more than 30 books and 650 articles on philosophy, humanism and skepticism. He has been influential in bringing philosophy back from a pure analytical study to a more activist stance. Kurtz actively promotes science and the refutation of pseudoscience. Name suggested and citation provided by J. McGaha.Naming citation (19960828/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Kurtz is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Kurtz is 2.31 au from the Sun and 3.03 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6629 |
| Provisional designation | 1982 UP |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.85 km (#15,545 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.324 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.81 |
| Orbital period | 3.21 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.18 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.88 – 2.48 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.139 |
| Inclination | 2.13° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.875 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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