(24101) Cassini Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 9 November 1999 by C. W. Juels at Fountain Hills.
Giovanni Domenico (a.k.a. Jean Dominique) Cassini (1625-1712), an Italian-born French astronomer, was the first director of the Royal Observatory in Paris. He discovered four of the satellites of Saturn, the major gap in its rings, and was the first to record observations of the zodiacal light.Naming citation (20020921/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cassini is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cassini is 2.62 au from the Sun and 3.57 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 24101 |
| Provisional designation | 1999 VA9 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 7.05 km (#7,584 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.246 |
| Rotation period | 3.99 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.03 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.65 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.83 – 3.46 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.308 |
| Inclination | 15.5° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.911 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Giovanni
- (6509) Giovannipratesi
- (6852) Nannibignami
- (7317) Cabot
- (7328) Casanova
- (8123) Canaletto
- (9878) Sostero
- (10928) Caprara
- (12433) Barbieri
- (12812) Cioni
- (15036) Giovannianselmi
- (15950) Dallago
- (16682) Donati
All asteroids named after someone called Giovanni
Also discovered on 9 November 1999
- (14220) Alexgibbs
- (19719) Glasser
- (20695) Santiagoiglesias
- (20696) Torresduarte
- (21900) Orus
- (21942) Subramanian
- (21943) Diannacowern
- (21962) Scottsandford
- (23002) Jillhirsch
- (23003) Ziminski
- (23004) Triciatalbert
- (24102) Jacquescassini