(221465) Rapa Nui Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 January 2006 by J.-C. Merlin at Nogales.
Rapa Nui is the name of Easter Island in the polynesian rapanui language. Situated 4000 km from the Chilean coast in the South Pacific, it is famous for its monumental statues, the moaïs, and for its unique writing, the rongorongo.Naming citation (20100130/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Rapa Nui is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rapa Nui is 2.62 au from the Sun and 1.68 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 221465 |
| Provisional designation | 2006 BE99 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.12 |
| Orbital period | 5.58 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.15 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.62 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.167 |
| Inclination | 16.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.67 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.