(20606) Widemann Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 5 September 1999 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.
Thomas Widemann (b. 1961) is a planetary scientist at Paris Observatory and an associate professor at Versailles University. He is an expert in the field of stellar occultations and ground-based spectroscopy of planetary atmospheres.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 4, #9, 6), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Widemann is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Widemann is 2.84 au from the Sun and 1.85 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20606 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 RM214 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 9.15 km (#5,649 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0720 |
| Rotation period | 26.0 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.63 |
| Orbital period | 5.39 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.08 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.69 – 3.46 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.125 |
| Inclination | 8.84° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.69 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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