(63498) Whitehead Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 July 2001 by J. Broughton at Reedy Creek.
Gustave Whitehead (1874–1927) was a German-born American aeronautical engineer, aviation pioneer and inventor. In 1901 he reportedly made controlled powered flights covering significant distances in his bat-like aircraft, over two years before the Wright brothers first flew. Aviation buffs have successfully flown in modern replicas of his craft.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #13, 17), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Whitehead is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Whitehead is 3.33 au from the Sun and 3.90 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 63498 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 OQ65 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.49 km (#6,153 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0510 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.29 |
| Orbital period | 5.62 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.16 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.93 – 3.40 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0749 |
| Inclination | 14.9° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.93 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Gustave
All asteroids named after someone called Gustave
Also discovered on 28 July 2001
- (30564) Olomouc
- (30575) Anacarolina
- (30578) Lawless
- (32527) Junko
- (34714) Haozhang
- (46308) Joelsercel
- (82559) Emilbrezina