(21459) Chrisrussell Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 30 April 1998 by LONEOS at Anderson Mesa.

Christopher T. Russell (b. 1943) is a professor of geophysics and planetary physics at the University of California, Los Angeles. Principal Investigator of the Dawn mission to (1) Ceres and (4) Vesta, Russell has wide-ranging interests that include space physics, Venus, Jupiter, Jupiter I (Io) and Mercury.Naming citation (20080718/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

Where Chrisrussell is today

MercuryVenusEarthEarthMarsMarsChrisrussellChrisrussell

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Chrisrussell is 2.21 au from the Sun and 1.22 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number21459
Provisional designation1998 HS51
Orbit classMain-belt Asteroid
Diameter3.53 km (#13,880 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo0.270
Rotation period1.00 hours
Absolute magnitude (H)14.49
Orbital period3.40 years
Semi-major axis2.26 au
Perihelion – aphelion1.96 – 2.56 au
Eccentricity0.133
Inclination7.05°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)0.955 au

Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.

Also named after someone called Christopher

All asteroids named after someone called Christopher

Also discovered on 30 April 1998

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