(17777) Ornicar Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 March 1998 by ODAS at Caussols.
In elementary school French children often learn the sequence “mais ou et donc or ni car”, which are the conjunctions that link phrases. The sequence could be interpreted as “but where could Ornicar be?” The naming of this minor planet, honoring French teachers around the world, provides one answer to that question.Naming citation (20020427/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Ornicar is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Ornicar is 1.96 au from the Sun and 2.04 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 17777 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 FV9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.88 |
| Orbital period | 3.36 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.25 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.89 – 2.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.158 |
| Inclination | 4.76° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.882 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 24 March 1998
- (8747) Asahi
- (9123) Yoshiko
- (12062) Tilmanspohn
- (12503) Danielpeterson
- (12504) Nuest
- (16915) Bredthauer
- (16934) Kevinmeng
- (18649) Fabrega
- (18689) Rodrick
- (19434) Bahuffman
- (19436) Marycole
- (19437) Jennyblank