(266646) Zaphod Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 28 September 2008 by Astronomical Research Observatory at Charleston.
Zaphod Beeblebrox is the ex-Galactic President and confidence trickster in Douglas Adams' book The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Name suggested by M. Johnson and M. Kran.Naming citation (20121029/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Zaphod is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Zaphod is 2.49 au from the Sun and 2.39 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 266646 |
| Provisional designation | 2008 SD209 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 16.46 |
| Orbital period | 4.64 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.78 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.38 – 3.18 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.143 |
| Inclination | 3.71° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.37 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.