(8643) Quercus Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 16 September 1988 by E. W. Elst at Haute Provence.
Named for Quercus, a genus belonging to the family Fagaceae. The tree Quercus robur (English oak) reaches a height of 30-40 m and an age of more than a thousand years.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 2, #9, 4), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Quercus is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Quercus is 2.22 au from the Sun and 2.35 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8643 |
| Provisional designation | 1988 SC |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.80 km (#9,222 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.331 |
| Rotation period | 17.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.21 |
| Orbital period | 4.12 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.57 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.18 – 2.96 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.153 |
| Inclination | 13.0° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.23 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 16 September 1988
- (3910) Liszt
- (3912) Troja
- (4259) McCoy
- (4794) Bogard
- (6188) Robertpepin
- (8483) Kinwalaniihsia
- (8644) Betulapendula
- (9025) Polanskey
- (9026) Denevi
- (10063) Erinleeryan
- (10298) Jiangchuanhuang
- (10741) Valeriocarruba