(42487) Angstrom Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 September 1991 by Borngen, F., Schmadel, L. D. at Tautenburg.
Swedish physicist Anders Jonas Ångström (1814-1874) is a cofounder of astrospectroscopy. He measured the wavelengths of about 1000 Fraunhofer lines, discovering among them some hydrogen lines. The ‘angstrom’, a unit of length equal to the 10-10 meters, was named for him.Naming citation (20030106/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Angstrom is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Angstrom is 2.15 au from the Sun and 1.36 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 42487 |
| Provisional designation | 1991 RY2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.29 |
| Orbital period | 3.91 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.48 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.14 – 2.82 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.136 |
| Inclination | 3.84° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.14 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Anders
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- (15311) Vasterberg
- (15313) Ynnerman
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All asteroids named after someone called Anders
Also discovered on 9 September 1991
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