(12999) Torun Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 August 1981 by E. Bowell at Anderson Mesa.
Toruń, Poland, is the birthplace of Nicolas Copernicus. In 1997, the gothic Old Town became a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The university, which bears Copernicus' name, houses the largest observatory in Poland. The name was suggested by T. Michałowski.Naming citation (20080321/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Torun is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Torun is 2.02 au from the Sun and 1.51 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12999 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 QJ2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.52 km (#13,900 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.392 |
| Rotation period | 4.02 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.97 |
| Orbital period | 3.43 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.27 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.85 – 2.70 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.188 |
| Inclination | 5.77° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.844 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Nicolas
- (7346) Boulanger
- (10303) Freret
- (12289) Carnot
- (12742) Delisle
- (13583) Bosret
- (14054) Dusek
- (14411) Clerambault
- (18638) Nouet
- (20605) Rambaux
- (25747) Nicerasmus
- (26969) Biver
- (43843) Cleynaerts
All asteroids named after someone called Nicolas
Also discovered on 30 August 1981
- (2730) Barks
- (2863) Ben Mayer
- (2871) Schober
- (3087) Beatrice Tinsley
- (3123) Dunham
- (3832) Shapiro
- (4021) Dancey
- (4433) Goldstone
- (5272) Dickinson
- (7220) Philnicholson
- (9001) Slettebak
- (9531) Jean-Luc