9969 Braille

9969 Braille, provisional designation 1992 KD, is an eccentric, rare-type and elongated asteroid from the innermost regions of the asteroid belt, classified as Mars-crosser and slow rotator, approximately 1–2 kilometers in diameter. It was discovered in 1992, by astronomers at Palomar Observatory and later named after Louis Braille, the inventor of the writing system for the blind. It was photographed in closeup by the spacecraft Deep Space 1 in 1999, but a malfunction resulted in indistinct images.

9969 Braille
Braille imaged by Deep Space 1 in 1999
Discovery
Discovered byE. F. Helin
K. J. Lawrence
Discovery sitePalomar Obs.
Discovery date27 May 1992
Designations
(9969) Braille
Pronunciation/ˈbrl/
Named after
Louis Braille
(inventor of braille)
1992 KD
Mars-crosser
Orbital characteristics
Epoch 4 September 2017 (JD 2458000.5)
Uncertainty parameter 0
Observation arc24.93 yr (9,107 days)
Aphelion3.3557 AU
Perihelion1.3263 AU
2.3410 AU
Eccentricity0.4334
3.58 yr (1,308 days)
16.880°
Inclination28.999°
241.95°
356.11°
Earth MOID0.3154 AU · 122.9 LD
Physical characteristics
Dimensions1.600±0.511 km
1.64 km (derived)
2.1 km × 1 km × 1 km
Mass7.8×1012kg
Mean density
3.9 g cm−3
226 h
226.4 h
0.1289±0.2441
0.18 (assumed)
SMASS = Q
15.8
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