(12981) Tracicase Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 7 November 1978 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Palomar.
Traci Case (b. 1976) contributed to NASA's Lucy mission in different roles. She was part of the original Step-1 proposal team. She was also the Cost, Schedule and Earned Value Lead, and Deputy Payload Manager at SwRI.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 12), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Tracicase is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Tracicase is 2.99 au from the Sun and 3.99 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12981 |
| Provisional designation | 1978 VP3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.21 |
| Orbital period | 5.12 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.97 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.75 – 3.19 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0734 |
| Inclination | 4.04° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.77 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Traci
All asteroids named after someone called Traci
Also discovered on 7 November 1978
- (2324) Janice
- (2440) Educatio
- (2499) Brunk
- (2611) Boyce
- (2725) David Bender
- (2925) Beatty
- (3240) Laocoon
- (3449) Abell
- (3651) Friedman
- (3718) Dunbar
- (3926) Ramirez
- (4012) Geballe