(12946) Portegieszwart Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 March 1971 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
Simon Portegies Zwart (b. 1965) is a Dutch astronomer, specializing in numerical studies of stellar dynamics. He leads the interdisciplinary research team on Computational Astrophysics at Leiden Observatory. Simon's main objective is to understand the universe through computer simulations.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #17, 16), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Portegieszwart is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Portegieszwart is 2.32 au from the Sun and 3.28 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12946 |
| Provisional designation | 1290 T-1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Rotation period | 1.33 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.98 |
| Orbital period | 3.71 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.39 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.23 – 2.56 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0679 |
| Inclination | 6.20° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.26 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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