(120643) Rudimandl Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 10 September 1996 by M. Tichy at Klet.
Rudi W. Mandl (1894-1948), Czech-German electrical engineer and amateur astronomer, was interested in gravitational lensing. In 1936 he met Albert Einstein and persuaded him to deal with this problem. Einstein then published Lens-Like Action of a Star By the Deviation of Light In the Gravitational Field.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2017-03-12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Rudimandl is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Rudimandl is 1.83 au from the Sun and 1.02 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 120643 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 RU |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.54 |
| Orbital period | 3.76 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.42 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.83 – 3.01 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.244 |
| Inclination | 1.14° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.822 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.