(9707) Petruskoning Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 16 October 1977 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Petrus A. Koning (b. 1934) has organized youth astronomy camps. Founder of the Bussloo Public Observatory, he was long a member of the observatory board. In 1995 he received the Van der Bilt Prize for his efforts to promote astronomy in the Dutch province of Gelderland. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger.Naming citation (20010309/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Petruskoning is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Petruskoning is 2.98 au from the Sun and 3.45 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	9707
Provisional designation	3226 T-3
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	9.29 km (#5,554 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.0820
Rotation period	0.920 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.84
Orbital period	4.21 years
Semi-major axis	2.61 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.23 – 2.98 au
Eccentricity	0.143
Inclination	11.1°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.27 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Petrus

All asteroids named after someone called Petrus

Also discovered on 16 October 1977

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.

All 958

← (9706) Bouma · (9708) Gouka →