You can see the official listing at the Minor Planet Center here.
The full citation in Minor Planets Circular 79911 reads:
The AP has an article out today on the topic, which has been picked up widely.
(40463) Frankkameny = 1999 RE44
Discovered 1999 Sept. 15 by G. W. Billings at Calgary.
Frank L. Kameny (1925–2011) trained as a variable star astronomer in the 1950s, but joined the Civil Rights struggle. His contributions included removing homosexuality from being termed a mental disorder in 1973 and shepherding passage of the District of Columbia marriage equality law in 2009.
The orbital elements of (40463) Frankkameny are:
ω: 30.53112 degrees
Ω : 303.00744 degrees
i: 2.45353 degrees
e: 0.1807671
a: 2.7788741 AU
M: 316.98943 degrees (epoch 30 Sep 2012 (midnight UT, presumably))
1 comment:
(40463) Frankkameny, a Main Belt asteroid, is currently between Libra and Scorpius, approaching the claws of the Scorpion, in the night sky.
Post a Comment