(8738) Saji Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 January 1997 by Saji at Saji.
Saji observatory, with its 1.03-m telescope, is situated on a hill overlooking Saji village. Saji's 3200 residents constructed their observatory in 1994, and the village assembly adopted a rule of keeping the skies dark.Naming citation (19990202/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Saji is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Saji is 2.07 au from the Sun and 2.05 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 8738 |
| Provisional designation | 1997 AQ16 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.57 km (#16,130 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.268 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.31 |
| Orbital period | 3.32 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.71 – 2.74 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.231 |
| Inclination | 0.334° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.709 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.