(12169) Munsterman Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 October 1977 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Henk Munsterman (b. 1946), an amateur astrophotographer in the Netherlands, is known for his photographs of planets, minor planets, comets, nebulae, star clusters and galaxies. The name was suggested by M. Drummen.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #21, 5), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Munsterman is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Munsterman is 2.24 au from the Sun and 1.49 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12169 |
| Provisional designation | 2031 T-3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 1.92 km (#17,116 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.524 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.15 |
| Orbital period | 3.29 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.21 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.16 – 2.26 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0228 |
| Inclination | 4.35° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.18 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Henk
All asteroids named after someone called Henk
Also discovered on 16 October 1977
- (3798) de Jager
- (3936) Elst
- (4044) Erikhog
- (4108) Rakos
- (4722) Agelaos
- (4753) Phidias
- (4754) Panthoos
- (5610) Balster
- (5699) Munch
- (5700) Homerus
- (5984) Lysippus
- (6055) Brunelleschi