(12321) Zurakowski Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 4 August 1992 by H. E. Holt at Palomar.
Paul R. Zurakowski (b. 1927), volunteer director of the Chabot Observatory Telescope Makers' Workshop for more than 30 years, is best known for testing thousands of mirrors, helping numerous students make their own telescopes and also judging telescopes at the Riverside Telescope Makers Conference.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Zurakowski is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Zurakowski is 2.46 au from the Sun and 2.23 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 12321 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 PZ1 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.48 km (#16,297 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.345 |
| Rotation period | 3.30 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.15 |
| Orbital period | 3.32 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.74 – 2.71 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.216 |
| Inclination | 4.90° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.732 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Paul
- (3743) Pauljaniczek
- (4148) McCartney
- (4194) Sweitzer
- (5065) Johnstone
- (5553) Chodas
- (5997) Dirac
- (6226) Paulwarren
- (6384) Kervin
- (6629) Kurtz
- (6726) Suthers
- (6870) Pauldavies
- (7560) Spudis
All asteroids named after someone called Paul