Amy: 694

694 Ekard was first spotted on , by the prolific American astronomer Joel Hastings Metcalf in Taunton, Massachusetts. While Metcalf was the discoverer, the convention of the era often allowed those who calculated the orbit to name the object. This privilege fell to Seth Barnes Nicholson and his wife, Alma Stotts , who were then undergraduates at Drake University in Des Moines, Iowa.

Classified as a main-belt asteroid, it orbits at a safe distance from Earth—roughly 0.87 AU (about 81 million miles) at its closest point—and poses no threat of impact. Scientific Significance 694 Amy

694 Ekard stands as a fascinating bridge between the historical era of visual discovery and the modern era of precision astrophysics. From its whimsical origin story at Drake University to its status as one of the largest residents of the asteroid belt, it continues to provide essential data about the "rocky relics" of our solar system's origins. While it may not be a target for human exploration anytime soon, it remains a vital piece of the celestial puzzle, drifting silently in the dark. 694 Ekard was first spotted on , by

Ekard is a fast spinner, completing a rotation on its axis in just 5.93 hours . Classified as a main-belt asteroid, it orbits at

Furthermore, Ekard has been the subject of multiple . In 2009 alone, four separate events were observed where the asteroid passed in front of a star, allowing observers to refine its diameter and shape with high precision. Conclusion

It completes a full revolution around the Sun every 4.35 years (1,590 days).