(63897) Ofunato Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 18 September 2001 by BATTeRS at Bisei SG Center.
Ofunato City is located on the south coast of Iwate Prefecture, Japan. Since the establishment of Sanriku Balloon Center in this city, a total of 413 heavy scientific balloons were launched until its closure in 2007. The center contributed greatly to the development of space science in Japan.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2013-09-19), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ofunato is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ofunato is 2.17 au from the Sun and 2.38 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 63897 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 SM9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.75 |
| Orbital period | 3.47 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.29 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.88 – 2.70 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.178 |
| Inclination | 5.98° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.889 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.