(20656) Samuelgrant Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 October 1999 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Samuel Grant (b. 1998) is a British scientist based at the Finnish Meteorological Institute, Helsinki. His Ph.D. research at University College London’s Mullard Space Science Laboratory included predicting crossings of comets’ ion tails by spacecraft, and studying dust trails’ interactions with the solar wind.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 32), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Samuelgrant is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Samuelgrant is 2.72 au from the Sun and 3.45 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20656 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 TX258 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.88 km (#6,698 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0710 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.27 |
| Orbital period | 5.71 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.20 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.72 – 3.67 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.150 |
| Inclination | 2.02° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.70 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Samuel
- (3866) Langley
- (4321) Zero
- (8672) Morse
- (9126) Samcoulson
- (9465) Fergusonsam
- (9687) Uhlenbeck
- (11686) Samuelweissman
- (12911) Goodhue
- (17971) Samuelhowell
- (21351) Bhagwat
- (25604) Karlin
- (28642) Zbarsky
All asteroids named after someone called Samuel
Also discovered on 9 October 1999
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- (20625) Noto
- (25372) Shanagarza
- (28411) Xiuqicao
- (36213) Robertotisgreen
- (40917) Pauljorden
- (40919) Johntonry
- (40981) Stephenholland
- (70444) Genovali