(2972) Niilo Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 October 1939 by Y. Vaisala at Turku.
Where Niilo is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Niilo is 2.41 au from the Sun and 3.40 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2972 |
| Provisional designation | 1939 TB |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.73 km (#11,163 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.218 |
| Rotation period | 8.59 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.64 |
| Orbital period | 3.15 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.79 – 2.52 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.170 |
| Inclination | 1.10° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.777 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 7 October 1939
More named asteroids discovered by Y. Vaisala
- (1391) Carelia
- (1398) Donnera
- (1405) Sibelius
- (1406) Komppa
- (1407) Lindelof
- (1421) Esperanto
- (1424) Sundmania
- (1446) Sillanpaa
- (1447) Utra
- (1448) Lindbladia
- (1449) Virtanen
- (1450) Raimonda
← (2971) Mohr · (2973) Paola →