(18664) Rafaelta Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 20 March 1998 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Rafael Andres Torrech-Antonetty (b. 1988) was awarded third place in the 2003 Intel International Science and Engineering Fair for his behavioral and social sciences team project. He attends the Isidro A. Sanchez High School, Luquillo, Puerto Rico, U.S.A.Naming citation (20040830/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Rafaelta is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rafaelta is 3.26 au from the Sun and 2.40 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 18664 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 FA43 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 5.20 km (#10,249 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0860 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.99 |
| Orbital period | 5.12 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.97 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.61 – 3.33 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.121 |
| Inclination | 1.12° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.59 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Rafael
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- (17696) Bombelli
- (20603) Rafaelribeiro
- (25001) Pacheco
- (43414) Sfair
- (128036) Rafaelnadal
- (161545) Ferrando
All asteroids named after someone called Rafael
Also discovered on 20 March 1998
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- (8745) Delaney
- (8954) Baral
- (9126) Samcoulson
- (9243) Alag
- (9454) Ardeishar
- (11169) Alkon
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- (11173) Jayanderson
- (11174) Carandrews
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