(31231) Uthmann Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 1 February 1998 by Kandler, J., Lehmann, G. at Drebach.

Barbara Uthmann (1514-1575) is said to have introduced the art of making lace into the Erzgebirge mountains in Saxony. After her husband's death in 1553, she successfully continued to manage his businesses and established a braid production, thus helping poor miner families to a new way of earning money.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Uthmann is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsUthmannUthmann

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Uthmann is 2.03 au from the Sun and 1.87 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number31231
Provisional designation1998 CA
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter5.95 km (#9,013 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.0620
Rotation period16.9 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)14.73
Orbital period4.14 years
Semi-major axis2.58 au
Perihelion – aphelion1.98 – 3.18 au
Eccentricity0.233
Inclination9.37°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)0.995 au

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

Also named after someone called Barbara

Also discovered on 1 February 1998

More named asteroids discovered by Kandler, J., Lehmann, G.