(12995) Wendellmendell Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
Wendell W. Mendell (b. 1941) is an American planetary scientist who worked for NASA for over 50 years, conducting lunar and planetary geological remote sensing, and working toward a permanent human base on the Moon. He helped to establish the International Space University.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #3, 10), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Wendellmendell is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Wendellmendell is 2.09 au from the Sun and 1.62 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12995 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EY27 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.66 km (#11,326 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.246 |
| Rotation period | 5.17 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.99 |
| Orbital period | 4.02 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.53 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.06 – 2.99 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.184 |
| Inclination | 11.8° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.08 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also discovered on 2 March 1981
- (2884) Reddish
- (2919) Dali
- (2980) Cameron
- (2981) Chagall
- (2990) Trimberger
- (3000) Leonardo
- (3121) Tamines
- (3122) Florence
- (3207) Spinrad
- (3252) Johnny
- (3304) Pearce
- (3524) Schulz