(12448) Mr. Tompkins Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 December 1996 by Tichy, M., Moravec, Z. at Klet.
Mr. Tompkins is the bank clerk well known from George Gamow's popular books Mr. Tompkins in Wonderland and Mr. Tompkins Explores the Atom. His fantastic dreams and adventures help explain Einstein's theory of relativity, cosmology, atomic structure and quantum theory.Naming citation (20000726/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Mr. Tompkins is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Mr. Tompkins is 2.00 au from the Sun and 1.74 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12448 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 XW18 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.31 |
| Orbital period | 3.48 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.30 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.99 – 2.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.132 |
| Inclination | 7.78° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.978 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.