(66583) Nicandra Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 September 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Named for a monotypic genus of flowering plants in the nightshade family containing the single species Nicandra physalodes. While the genus is named for Greek poet Nicander, it is known by the common names “apple-of-Peru” and “shoo-fly plant.” Its flowers are bell-shaped, pale violet with white throats.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-01-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Nicandra is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Nicandra is 2.96 au from the Sun and 3.55 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 66583 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 RL156 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.01 km (#8,917 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0490 |
| Rotation period | 6.46 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.47 |
| Orbital period | 4.28 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.64 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.99 – 3.28 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.244 |
| Inclination | 3.60° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.991 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 9 September 1999
- (12127) Mamiya
- (12130) Mousa
- (12589) Davidanand
- (12590) Ballantine
- (12591) Bergey
- (12592) Brianchen
- (12593) Shashlov
- (12594) Sidorclare
- (12595) Amandashaw
- (12596) Shukla
- (12597) Williamdaniel
- (12598) Sierra