(391257) Wilwheaton Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 12 September 2006 by T. Pauwels at Uccle.

Richard William ‘Wil’ Wheaton III (b. 1972) is an American actor and writer, best known for his role as Wesley Crusher on the television series Star Trek: The Next Generation. He also has a long track record of supporting various charity organizations, such as the Pasadena Humane Society and Project UROK.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 3, #11, 7), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Wilwheaton is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsWilwheatonWilwheaton

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Wilwheaton is 2.87 au from the Sun and 3.82 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number391257
Provisional designation2006 RL1
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Absolute magnitude (H)16.95
Orbital period4.29 years
Semi-major axis2.64 au
Perihelion – aphelion1.83 – 3.45 au
Eccentricity0.307
Inclination10.9°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)0.850 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Richard

More named asteroids discovered by T. Pauwels