(368704) Roelgathier Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 21 September 2005 by T. Pauwels at Uccle.
Roel Gathier (1953-2016) was dedicated to international space research, with outstanding communication and management skills. He played a major role in Dutch and international astronomy, as Managing Director of SRON Netherlands Institute for Space Research and as chairman of ESA's Science Programme Committee.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-03-31), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Roelgathier is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Roelgathier is 2.62 au from the Sun and 2.03 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 368704 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 SD223 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 17.17 |
| Orbital period | 4.09 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.56 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.11 – 3.01 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.176 |
| Inclination | 14.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.09 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.