(9687) Uhlenbeck Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

Together with Samuel A. Goudsmit, Dutch-American physicist George E. Uhlenbeck (1900-1988) proposed the concept of electron spin at the University of Leiden in 1925. Spin is a fundamental property of neutrons, protons and other elementary particles. The name was suggested by W. A. Fröger.Naming citation (20010705/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Uhlenbeck is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Uhlenbeck is 2.82 au from the Sun and 1.93 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	9687
Provisional designation	4614 P-L
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	5.38 km (#9,923 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.222
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.82
Orbital period	4.72 years
Semi-major axis	2.81 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.80 – 2.83 au
Eccentricity	0.00548
Inclination	6.06°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.81 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Samuel

All asteroids named after someone called Samuel

Also discovered on 24 September 1960

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.

All 958

← (9686) Keesom · (9688) Goudsmit →