(140980) Blanton Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 12 November 2001 by Sloan Digital Sky Survey at Apache Point.
Michael Blanton (b. 1973) is an American astronomer and a contributor to the Sloan Digital Sky Survey, best known for work on the galaxy-luminosity function.Naming citation (20120406/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Blanton is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Blanton is 2.92 au from the Sun and 2.06 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 140980 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 VQ132 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 2.61 km (#16,043 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.237 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.29 |
| Orbital period | 5.01 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.93 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.04 – 3.81 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.302 |
| Inclination | 14.3° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.02 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Michael
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All asteroids named after someone called Michael