(12196) Weems Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 25 June 1979 by Helin, E. F., Bus, S. J. at Siding Spring.
Weyman Weems (b. 1965) contributed to NASA's Lucy Trojan asteroid mission as the current Solar Array Principal Engineer.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 1, #9, 9), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Weems is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Weems is 2.48 au from the Sun and 2.05 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12196 |
| Provisional designation | 1979 MM8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 3.52 km (#13,903 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.206 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.74 |
| Orbital period | 3.83 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.45 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.15 – 2.75 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.124 |
| Inclination | 3.65° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.14 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Lucy
All asteroids named after someone called Lucy
Also discovered on 25 June 1979
- (2343) Siding Spring
- (2392) Jonathan Murray
- (2441) Hibbs
- (2618) Coonabarabran
- (2619) Skalnate Pleso
- (2628) Kopal
- (2682) Soromundi
- (2704) Julian Loewe
- (3129) Bonestell
- (3205) Boksenberg
- (3756) Ruscannon
- (3817) Lencarter