(52963) Vercingetorix Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 15 October 1998 by ODAS at Caussols.
Vercingetorix (b. 82--72 BCE, d. 46 BCE) was a King of the Arverni and military leader of the Celtic people against the Roman invasion. He beat Julius Caesar's forces at the Battle of Gergovia (52 BCE), but surrendered during the battle of Alesia, presumably because of superstitions related to the lunar eclipse of 26 Sep. 52 BCE.Naming citation (MPC batch dated 2018-09-25), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Vercingetorix is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Vercingetorix is 2.71 au from the Sun and 3.34 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 52963 |
| Provisional designation | 1998 TB16 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.48 km (#11,665 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0380 |
| Rotation period | 3.27 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.96 |
| Orbital period | 3.35 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.24 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.76 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.213 |
| Inclination | 2.18° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.749 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 15 October 1998
- (13357) Werkhoven
- (14164) Hennigar
- (15025) Uwontario
- (23937) Delibes
- (27079) Vsetin
- (52965) Laurencebentz
- (145820) Valeromeo