(5345) Boynton Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 1 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.
William Boynton (b. 1944), professor of cosmochemistry and geochemistry at the University of Arizona, has measured elemental abundances in meteorites as a means of probing the early history of the solar system. He is the team leader for the γ-ray spectrometer on the Mars Odyssey spacecraft.Naming citation (20020624/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Boynton is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Boynton is 3.19 au from the Sun and 4.00 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5345 |
| Provisional designation | 1981 EY8 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 8.82 km (#5,896 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.0520 |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.13 |
| Orbital period | 4.60 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.76 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.11 – 3.42 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.236 |
| Inclination | 6.45° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.12 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called William
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- (2220) Hicks
- (3445) Pinson
- (3894) Williamcooke
- (4137) Crabtree
- (4423) Golden
- (4838) Billmclaughlin
- (5763) Williamtobin
- (6012) Williammurdoch
- (6613) Williamcarl
- (6756) Williamfeldman
- (7355) Bottke
All asteroids named after someone called William
Also discovered on 1 March 1981
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- (3016) Meuse
- (3029) Sanders
- (3030) Vehrenberg
- (3042) Zelinsky
- (3058) Delmary
- (3075) Bornmann
- (3135) Lauer
- (3308) Ferreri
- (3472) Upgren
- (3498) Belton
- (3503) Brandt