(12137) Williefowler Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.
William Alfred Fowler (1911-1995) was a nuclear astrophysicist who measured in the laboratory at Caltech the nuclear reactions that occur at lower energies in stars. He also worked on theories of supernovae and early nucleosynthesis.Naming citation (20071124/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Williefowler is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Williefowler is 2.71 au from the Sun and 2.86 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12137 |
| Provisional designation | 4004 P-L |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.48 |
| Orbital period | 4.32 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.59 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0238 |
| Inclination | 5.33° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.58 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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