(198968) Sparke Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 October 2005 by D. J. Tholen at Mauna Kea.
Philip Sparke (b. 1951) is an English composer. His 2004 composition Music of the Spheres is astronomically themed, with two of its seven movements titled “Big Bang” and “Asteroids and Shooting Stars”. The composition is a favorite of the discoverer.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 5, #5, 24), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Sparke is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Sparke is 2.60 au from the Sun and 1.90 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 198968 |
| Provisional designation | 2005 UF506 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.86 |
| Orbital period | 4.57 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.75 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.57 – 2.94 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0670 |
| Inclination | 6.92° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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All asteroids named after someone called Philip