(20473) Lainey Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 13 July 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Valéry Lainey (b. 1974) is a French astronomer at the Paris Observatory. He is an expert in high-precision astrometry, ephemerides, and dynamical planetology modeling of small bodies. He specializes in the dynamics and tides of celestial bodies, making use of observations from ground and from space, and old observations on photographic plates.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 22), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Lainey as a baby name🐶 Lainey as a dog name
Where Lainey is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Lainey is 2.97 au from the Sun and 3.92 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20473 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 NS8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.30 km (#8,505 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.281 |
| Rotation period | 22.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.25 |
| Orbital period | 4.15 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.58 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.11 – 3.06 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.183 |
| Inclination | 13.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.16 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Valery
All asteroids named after someone called Valery
Also discovered on 13 July 1999
- (11746) Thomjansen
- (11747) Libbykamen
- (12118) Mirotsin
- (12119) Memamis
- (12121) Greenwald
- (12572) Sadegh
- (15501) Pepawlowski
- (18821) Markhavel
- (18836) Raymundto
- (19582) Blow
- (19584) Sarahgerin
- (19585) Zachopkins