(6917) Assateague Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 March 1993 by S. Otomo at Kiyosato.
Assateague is an island and national park in Maryland with over 1 million visitors each year, has 37 miles of protected barrier habitat, and is one of few places in the United States where wild horses reside. In 2026 students at the University of Maryland observed the lightcurve and rotation period of this asteroid.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #9, 10), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Assateague is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Assateague is 2.16 au from the Sun and 2.76 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 6917 |
| Provisional designation | 1993 FR2 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.40 km (#11,846 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.205 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.74 |
| Orbital period | 3.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.22 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.04 – 2.39 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.0808 |
| Inclination | 3.80° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.04 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.