(4564) Clayton Main-belt Asteroid

Discovered on 6 March 1981 by S. J. Bus at Siding Spring.

As a professor at the University of Chicago, Robert Clayton (b. 1930) has pioneered the use of oxygen isotope compositions in understanding nebular and asteroidal processes. His discovery of isotopic anomalies in some chondritic meteorites established that presolar materials survived solar system formation.Naming citation (20001013/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL

👶 Clayton as a baby name 🐶 Clayton as a dog name

Where Clayton is today

Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Clayton is 2.35 au from the Sun and 3.33 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.

Facts

Number	4564
Provisional designation	1981 ET16
Orbit class	Main-belt Asteroid
Diameter	5.06 km (#10,489 largest of 17,440 named asteroids with a measured size)
Albedo	0.274
Absolute magnitude (H)	13.86
Orbital period	4.10 years
Semi-major axis	2.56 au
Perihelion – aphelion	2.04 – 3.09 au
Eccentricity	0.204
Inclination	13.3°
Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID)	1.08 au

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

Also named after someone called Robert

All asteroids named after someone called Robert

Also discovered on 6 March 1981

More named asteroids discovered by S. J. Bus

All 464

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