(171171) Prior Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 10 April 2005 by Mt. Lemmon Survey at Mount Lemmon.
Richard M. Prior (b. 1942) is a Professor of Physics who earned a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics at the University of Florida.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #13, 12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Prior is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Prior is 3.13 au from the Sun and 4.01 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 171171 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 GZ164 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.87 |
| Orbital period | 4.23 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.62 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.09 – 3.14 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.201 |
| Inclination | 11.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.11 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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