(10957) Alps Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 24 September 1960 by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T. at Palomar.

The Alps form a great mountain chain stretching from the Mediterranean Sea between southern France and Italy through Switzerland to eastern Austria.Naming citation (20030501/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Alps is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsAlpsAlps

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Alps is 2.96 au from the Sun and 2.73 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number10957
Provisional designation6068 P-L
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter4.91 km (#10,795 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.184
Absolute magnitude (H)14.11
Orbital period5.13 years
Semi-major axis2.98 au
Perihelion – aphelion2.66 – 3.29 au
Eccentricity0.106
Inclination5.04°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)1.67 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also discovered on 24 September 1960

More named asteroids discovered by van Houten, C. J., van Houten-Groeneveld, I., Gehrels, T.