(8772) Minutus

Template: Infobox Asteroid / Maintenance / Error 1

( 8772 ) minutus is an asteroid of the inner main belt, which was discovered on 29 September 1973 by the Dutch astronomer Cornelis Johannes van Houten couple and Ingrid van Houten - Groeneveld. The discovery happened during the 2nd Trojan survey, in which the 120 - cm Oschin Schmidt telescope at Palomar Observatory recorded by Tom Gehrels field plates at Leiden University were screened, 13 years after the beginning of the Palomar - Leiden Surveys.

The asteroid belongs to Nysa group, one named after (44 ) Nysa group of asteroids (also called Hertha family, according to (135 ) Hertha). The timeless ( nichtoskulierenden ) orbital elements of ( 8772 ) minutus are almost identical to those of the two smaller, if we start from the absolute brightness of 16.6 and 17.3 compared with 14.0, asteroids ( 208 707 ) in 2002 and JL51 ( 331 581 ) 2001 SO13.

( 8772 ) minutus is named after the little bittern, whose scientific name is Ixobrychus minutus. At the time of designation of the asteroid on February 2, 1999, the Little Bittern was on the Dutch and European Red List of Threatened Birds.