(4837) Bickerton Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 30 June 1989 by Gilmore, A. C., Kilmartin, P. M. at Lake Tekapo.
Alexander W. Bickerton (1842-1929), professor of chemistry at Canterbury College, was an inspiring teacher and popularizer of science. Ernest Rutherford was one of his distinguished pupils. Bickerton was known for his “partial impact” theory of novae, which he extended to variable stars and other phenomena.Naming citation (20020328/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bickerton is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bickerton is 3.44 au from the Sun and 4.07 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 4837 |
| Provisional designation | 1989 ME |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 28.3 km (#1,456 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0500 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 11.91 |
| Orbital period | 5.72 years |
| Semi-major axis | 3.20 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.75 – 3.64 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.139 |
| Inclination | 28.2° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.80 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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