(9844) Otani Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 23 November 1989 by Kushida, Y., Muramatsu, O. at Yatsugatake.
Named in honor of Toyokazu Otani (b. 1928), first lecturer at the Gotoh Planetarium and Astronomical Museum in Tokyo, where he worked for 32 years until 1988. His deep knowledge of acoustics and classical music was instrumental in establishing the well-known BMG sound system, appreciated by planetarium audiences. Otani is also known as an eminent observer of the planets.Naming citation (19990402/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Otani is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Otani is 3.08 au from the Sun and 4.07 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9844 |
| Provisional designation | 1989 WF1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 10.1 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.09 |
| Orbital period | 4.43 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.70 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.10 – 3.29 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.220 |
| Inclination | 12.9° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.12 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.