(9098) Toshihiko Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 January 1996 by T. Kobayashi at Oizumi.
Toshihiko Osawa (1935-2001) was a genius in visual planetary observing. He began observing with his self-made telescope at age 12 and discovered “Osawa's spots” on Saturn in 1952. For more than half of his life he was ill, but he continued observing with his telescope on the roof of a hospital.Naming citation (20030806/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Toshihiko is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Toshihiko is 3.16 au from the Sun and 4.15 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 9098 |
| Provisional designation | 1996 BQ3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.09 km (#7,519 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.243 |
| Rotation period | 6.19 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.14 |
| Orbital period | 4.96 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.91 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.45 – 3.36 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.157 |
| Inclination | 3.33° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.47 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.