(8474) Rettig Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 April 1985 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Terrence W. Rettig (b. 1946) is a planetary astronomer and educator at the University of Notre Dame who has contributed to the understanding of comets and the evolution of planet-forming regions around young stars. He has also served as the National Science Foundation Special Programs Director for Physics.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #10, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Rettig is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rettig is 2.52 au from the Sun and 1.87 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8474 |
| Provisional designation | 1985 GA1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.20 km (#12,274 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.354 |
| Rotation period | 30.5 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.84 |
| Orbital period | 3.32 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.84 – 2.61 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.173 |
| Inclination | 5.91° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.827 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Terrence
All asteroids named after someone called Terrence
Also discovered on 15 April 1985
- (3527) McCord
- (3663) Tisserand
- (4175) Billbaum
- (4532) Copland
- (4569) Baerbel
- (5100) Pasachoff
- (6371) Heinlein
- (7228) MacGillivray