Ekard is no mere pebble; it is a "silent giant" of the main belt. With an estimated diameter of approximately (about 76 miles), it is larger than 99% of all known asteroids. To put its size in perspective, it is roughly comparable to the size of the state of Connecticut. Key characteristics include:
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. 694 Amy
The couple chose a name that honored their alma mater in a clever, backwards fashion: is simply "Drake" spelled in reverse. This whimsical nomenclature remains one of the more unique stories in the Minor Planet Center’s records. Physical and Orbital Profile Ekard is no mere pebble; it is a