(46563) Oken Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 September 1991 by Borngen, F., Schmadel, L. D. at Tautenburg.
Lorenz Oken (1779-1851) was professor of medicine in Jena (1807-1819) and a leading Romantic natural philosopher closely connected with Goethe and Schlegel. In 1823, he founded the Society of German Naturalists and Physicians. He became the first rector of the University of Zurich, founded in 1833.Naming citation (20030106/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Oken is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Oken is 3.66 au from the Sun and 4.30 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 46563 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 RY3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.01 km (#5,753 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0720 |
| Rotation period | 262 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.66 |
| Orbital period | 5.48 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.11 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.54 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.182 |
| Inclination | 19.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.56 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 12 September 1991
- (6864) Starkenburg
- (9187) Walterkroll
- (9344) Klopstock
- (10782) Hittmair
- (21074) Rugen
- (21075) Heussinger
- (21076) Kokoschka
- (23490) Monikohl
- (24712) Boltzmann
- (24713) Ekrutt
- (27758) Michelson
- (48456) Wilhelmwien