2801 Huygens
Encyclopedia
2801 Huygens is a small main belt
asteroid
, which was discovered by Hendrik van Gent
in 1935. It belongs to the Gefion family
of asteroids. It is named after Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch
astronomer
, mathematician
and physicist
.
Asteroid belt
The asteroid belt is the region of the Solar System located roughly between the orbits of the planets Mars and Jupiter. It is occupied by numerous irregularly shaped bodies called asteroids or minor planets...
asteroid
Asteroid
Asteroids are a class of small Solar System bodies in orbit around the Sun. They have also been called planetoids, especially the larger ones...
, which was discovered by Hendrik van Gent
Hendrik van Gent
Hendrik van Gent was a Dutch astronomer.He moved to South Africa in 1928 in order to observe the southern sky at the Leiden Southern Station and the Union Observatory in Johannesburg. He studied variable stars, and also discovered a number of asteroids and comets...
in 1935. It belongs to the Gefion family
Gefion family
The Gefion family of asteroids is a grouping of S-type asteroids in the intermediate main belt.-Properties:The members have proper orbital elements in the approximate ranges...
of asteroids. It is named after Christiaan Huygens, the Dutch
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
astronomer
Astronomer
An astronomer is a scientist who studies celestial bodies such as planets, stars and galaxies.Historically, astronomy was more concerned with the classification and description of phenomena in the sky, while astrophysics attempted to explain these phenomena and the differences between them using...
, mathematician
Mathematician
A mathematician is a person whose primary area of study is the field of mathematics. Mathematicians are concerned with quantity, structure, space, and change....
and physicist
Physicist
A physicist is a scientist who studies or practices physics. Physicists study a wide range of physical phenomena in many branches of physics spanning all length scales: from sub-atomic particles of which all ordinary matter is made to the behavior of the material Universe as a whole...
.