(8634) Neubauer Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 April 1981 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Fritz Neubauer (b. 1940) is a pioneer in space science. His main fields are planetary magnetic fields and magnetospheres, interplanetary plasma and the interaction of the solar wind with comets. He has been principal and co-investigator on many NASA and ESA space missions. The name was suggested by M. Pätzold.Naming citation (20000523/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Neubauer is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Neubauer is 3.02 au from the Sun and 2.02 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8634 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 GG |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.38 km (#9,919 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.211 |
| Rotation period | 5.10 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.43 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.16 – 3.13 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.183 |
| Inclination | 14.2° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.19 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Fritz
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