(48451) Pichincha Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 August 1991 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Pichincha is an active stratovolcano in Ecuador, very close to the capital Quito. In October 1999, one of the peaks, on the western side of the mountain, erupted and covered the city with several inches of ash. The last major eruptions were in 1553 and in 1660.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-03-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Pichincha is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Pichincha is 3.35 au from the Sun and 3.93 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 48451 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 PC3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 6.29 km (#8,516 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.135 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.1 |
| Orbital period | 5.43 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.09 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.82 – 3.36 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0875 |
| Inclination | 13.2° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.81 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 August 1991
- (8169) Mirabeau
- (9184) Vasilij
- (9341) Gracekelly
- (10780) Apollinaire
- (11289) Frescobaldi
- (11524) Pleyel
- (12294) Avogadro
- (12295) Tasso
- (13525) Paulledoux
- (19175) Peterpiot
- (20010) Tomfrench
- (90717) Flanders