(20602) Qichengzhang Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 8 September 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Qicheng Zhang (b. 1994) is a Chinese-American astronomer working at Lowell Observatory in Flagstaff who earned his Ph.D. from Caltech in 2023. He studies a wide variety of phenomena related to small solar-system bodies, with particular emphasis on understanding their behavior at small heliocentric distances.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 30), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Qichengzhang is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Qichengzhang is 3.38 au from the Sun and 3.03 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20602 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 RC198 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 23.7 km (#1,805 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0390 |
| Rotation period | 7.30 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 12.13 |
| Orbital period | 5.58 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.14 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.52 – 3.76 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.197 |
| Inclination | 14.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 8 September 1999
- (12580) Antonini
- (12581) Rovinj
- (13817) Genobechetti
- (16066) Richardbressler
- (16070) Charops
- (19629) Serra
- (19694) Dunkelman
- (19695) Billnye
- (20544) Kimhansell
- (20545) Karenhowell
- (20546) Michaelfruhauf
- (20547) Michimani