(651168) Petrini Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 November 2012 by R. P. Boyle K. Äernis at Mount Graham.
Sr. Raffaella Petrini (b. 1969) is an Italian religious member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist. In February 2025, Pope Francis named her President of the Governorate of Vatican City State, making her the first woman to hold this top Vatican office. She oversees the Vatican Observatory and works to secure funding for its telescopes.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #16, 11), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Petrini is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Petrini is 3.11 au from the Sun and 3.66 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 651168 |
| Provisional designation | 2012 WZ41 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.76 |
| Orbital period | 5.62 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.16 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.86 – 3.47 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0964 |
| Inclination | 10.4° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.86 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.