(16623) Muenzel Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 14 April 1993 by H. Debehogne at La Silla.
Gisela Muenzel (b. 1929) was the life partner of Hilmar W. Duerbeck (1948-2012). Over the last 20 years, she contributed various papers on the history of astronomy, and collaborated with Duerbeck on diverse historical archives of astronomers and observatories.Naming citation (20120703/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Muenzel is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Muenzel is 2.80 au from the Sun and 3.77 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16623 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 GM1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 11.7 km (#4,200 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0620 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.4 |
| Orbital period | 5.63 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.16 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.72 – 3.61 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.141 |
| Inclination | 4.24° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.73 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Gisela
All asteroids named after someone called Gisela