(79144) Cervantes Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 2 February 1992 by E. W. Elst at La Silla.
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616) was a Spanish novelist best known for Don Quijote (1605). In his eight comic sketches Entremeses, he introduced elements from the novel, creating clear pictures of the everyday life of his time. His first major work was La Galatea (1585).Naming citation (20050919/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
Where Cervantes is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Cervantes is 2.21 au from the Sun and 3.00 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 79144 |
| Provisional designation | 1992 CM3 |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Diameter | 4.40 km (#11,850 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size) |
| Albedo | 0.276 |
| Rotation period | 15.4 hours |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 14.01 |
| Orbital period | 4.30 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.64 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 1.77 – 3.51 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.329 |
| Inclination | 29.1° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 0.945 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Miguel
- (6138) Miguelhernandez
- (9629) Servet
- (16701) Volpe
- (17115) Justiniano
- (21418) Bustos
- (28439) Miguelreyes
- (29765) Miparedes
- (257371) Miguelbello
- (336204) Sardinas
- (362911) Miguelhurtado
- (551233) Miguelanton
All asteroids named after someone called Miguel
Also discovered on 2 February 1992
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- (7587) Weckmann
- (8676) Lully
- (10542) Ruckers
- (10792) Ecuador
- (10793) Quito
- (11530) d'Indy
- (13079) Toots
- (24732) Leonardcohen
- (26122) Antonysutton
- (27775) Lilialmanzor