(42246) Bobanderson Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 29 March 2001 by W. K. Y. Yeung at Desert Beaver.
Bob Anderson (b. 1942) is a talented American programmer who developed software widely used by asteroid occultation observers worldwide (Occular, ROTE, PyMovie, PyOTE, GoPyOTE and IOTAdiffraction). His work has enabled precise video timing, photometric measurements and diffraction modeling, making major contributions to asteroid research.Naming citation (WGSBN Bull. 6, #15, 8), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Bobanderson is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Bobanderson is 2.61 au from the Sun and 2.22 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 42246 |
| Provisional designation | 2001 FX121 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 15.22 |
| Orbital period | 4.07 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.55 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.11 – 2.99 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.173 |
| Inclination | 4.43° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.10 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
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