(2434) Bateson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 27 May 1981 by Gilmore, A. C., Kilmartin, P. M. at Lake Tekapo.
Named in honor of Frank Maine Bateson, director of the Variable Star section of the Royal Astronomical Society of New Zealand since 1928. He led the site survey of New Zealand that resulted in the establishment of the Mount John University Observatory and was astronomer-in-charge there until 1968. Dr. Bateson and his wife Doris continue to support and encourage astronomy in New Zealand.Naming citation (MPC 6210), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bateson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bateson is 3.09 au from the Sun and 2.28 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 2434 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 KA |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 16.8 km (#2,740 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.197 |
| Rotation period | 13.6 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.58 |
| Orbital period | 5.41 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.08 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.57 – 3.60 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.167 |
| Inclination | 15.6° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.61 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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