(22446) Philwhitney Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 6 October 1996 by Spacewatch at Kitt Peak.
Phil Whitney (b. 1927) has long supported astronomy in Hawaii and organized events for the University of Hawaii's “Friends of the Institute for Astronomy”. Name suggested by P. and R. Jedicke.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-07-09), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Philwhitney is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Philwhitney is 2.29 au from the Sun and 3.25 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 22446 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 TU25 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.54 |
| Orbital period | 3.16 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.85 – 2.46 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.142 |
| Inclination | 3.25° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.835 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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