(20764) Witasse Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 March 2000 by LINEAR at Socorro.
Olivier Witasse (b. 1972) is a French scientist working at ESA in the Netherlands. He has served as Project Scientist for several planetary missions. Olivier’s research spans planetary science topics such as meteoritic layers in planetary atmospheres, ground-based observations of asteroid, and the study of space environments around comets.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #11, 37), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Witasse is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Witasse is 3.36 au from the Sun and 4.36 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 20764 |
| Provisional designation | 2000 FE38 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.95 km (#6,636 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.233 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.28 |
| Orbital period | 5.29 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.04 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.56 – 3.51 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.156 |
| Inclination | 9.94° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.60 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Olivier
- (6065) Chesneau
- (8799) Barnouin
- (14617) Lasvergnas
- (14972) Olihainaut
- (16280) Groussin
- (20565) Oliviermousis
- (34708) Grasset
- (54863) Gasnault
- (59162) Olivierbienayme
- (378721) Thizy
All asteroids named after someone called Olivier
Also discovered on 29 March 2000
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- (15160) Wygoda
- (15553) Carachang
- (15554) Chenhuaipu
- (16234) Bosse
- (26611) Madzlandon
- (27433) Hylak
- (27434) Anirudhjain
- (27438) Carolynjons
- (27439) Kamimura
- (27440) Colekendrick
- (27446) Landoni