(16972) Neish Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 21 November 1998 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Catherine D. Neish (b. 1981) is a professor at the University of Western Ontario who studies Titan, the Moon and Venus using orbital radar. Previously known by the moniker Katie Dot, she is an avid scuba diver, a champion for social justice, and mother to Penelope.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-12-03), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Neish is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Neish is 2.69 au from the Sun and 1.72 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 16972 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 WK11 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 76.6 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.91 |
| Orbital period | 4.04 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.54 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.07 – 3.01 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.185 |
| Inclination | 9.78° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.05 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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