(5569) Colby Main-belt Asteroid
Discovered on 22 March 1974 by C. Torres at Cerro El Roble.
Michael John Colby (b. 1952) furthered the exploration of the planets by his role as spacecraft integration manager of NASA's New Horizons Pluto-Kuiper Belt mission. He also played key roles in other important planetary and space astronomy missions.Naming citation (20051215/MPCPages.arc), IAU / Minor Planet Center, via NASA/JPL
👶 Colby as a baby name🐶 Colby as a dog name
Where Colby is today
Seen from above the solar system on 2026-10-14: Colby is 2.72 au from the Sun and 3.24 au from Earth. Computed from JPL's orbital elements.
Facts
| Number | 5569 |
| Provisional designation | 1974 FO |
| Orbit class | Main-belt Asteroid |
| Absolute magnitude (H) | 13.59 |
| Orbital period | 3.80 years |
| Semi-major axis | 2.44 au |
| Perihelion – aphelion | 2.05 – 2.82 au |
| Eccentricity | 0.158 |
| Inclination | 5.27° |
| Closest distance between its orbit and Earth's (MOID) | 1.04 au |
Data: NASA/JPL Small-Body Database and the IAU Minor Planet Center.
Also named after someone called Michael
- (3192) A'Hearn
- (4477) Kelley
- (4599) Rowan
- (5373) Michaelkurtz
- (5554) Keesey
- (6406) Mikejura
- (6569) Ondaatje
- (7738) Heyman
- (7936) Mikemagee
- (8032) Michaeladams
- (8129) Michaelbusch
- (8379) Straczynski
All asteroids named after someone called Michael
Also discovered on 22 March 1974
More named asteroids discovered by C. Torres
- (2282) Andres Bello
- (2518) Rutllant
- (2784) Domeyko
- (2976) Lautaro
- (3050) Carrera
- (3361) Orpheus
- (3922) Heather
- (3970) Herran
- (4269) Bogado
- (4853) Marielukac
- (4881) Robmackintosh
- (9917) Keynes
← (5568) Mufson · (5570) Kirsan →