(8976) Leucura Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 29 September 1973 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Named for Oenanthe leucura, or black wheatear.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #8, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Leucura is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsLeucuraLeucura

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Leucura is 3.52 au from the Sun and 3.76 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number8976
Provisional designation4221 T-2
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter12.7 km (#3,825 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.0630
Rotation period5.54 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)13.49
Orbital period5.47 years
Semi-major axis3.10 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.67 – 3.53 au
Eccentricity0.138
Inclination2.09°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.69 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also discovered on 29 September 1973

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.