(12661) Schelling Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 February 1976 by F. Borngen at Tautenburg.
Friedrich Wilhelm Joseph von Schelling (1775-1854) studied at the Stift in Tübingen and was professor of philosophy in Jena. A natural philosopher, he communicated closely with the Romanticists and was one of the main proponents of German idealism.Naming citation (20000523/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Schelling is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Schelling is 2.56 au from the Sun and 1.58 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12661 |
| Provisional designation | 1976 DA1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.30 km (#14,467 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.195 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.03 |
| Orbital period | 3.46 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.29 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.02 – 2.56 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.117 |
| Inclination | 4.87° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.03 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Friedrich
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- (5665) Begemann
- (6231) Hundertwasser
- (8052) Novalis
- (9189) Holderlin
- (9344) Klopstock
- (10835) Frobel
- (11855) Preller
- (12694) Schleiermacher
- (13254) Kekule
- (14041) Durrenmatt
- (15808) Zelter
All asteroids named after someone called Friedrich