Discovered by K. EndateK. Watanabe MPC designation 46610 Bésixdouze Discovered 15 October 1993 Orbits Sun | Discovery date 15 October 1993 Minor planet category main-belt Absolute magnitude 15.5 Asteroid group Asteroid belt | |
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Alternative names 1993 TQ1 · 1986 RU72000 VV32 Similar Sun, Solar System, 45 Eugenia, Asteroid belt | ||
46610 Bésixdouze, provisional designation 1993 TQ1, is an asteroid from the inner regions of the asteroid belt, roughly 2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered on 15 October 1993, by Japanese amateur astronomers Kin Endate and Kazuro Watanabe at the Kitami Observatory in eastern Hokkaidō, Japan.
The asteroid orbits the Sun at a distance of 1.9–2.7 AU once every 3 years and 5 months (1,249 days). Its orbit shows an eccentricity of 0.18 and an inclination of 2 degrees from the plane of the ecliptic.
The name was suggested by F. Hemery and Jiří Grygar as a reference to the French novella The Little Prince. The title character lived on an asteroid named B612, which is the number 46610 written in hexadecimal notation. Bésixdouze (French pronunciation: [be.sis.duːz]) is one way to pronounce B612 in French (lit. 'B six twelve').